LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



m 



fcT6„, 






i UNITED STATES OF AMERICA f 

r 



PHINEAS STOWE, 



AND 



BETHEL WORK. 



COMPILED EY 

REV. HENRY A. COOKE, 

PASTOR OF BOSTON BAPTIST BETHEL. 






BOSTON: 
JAMES H. EARLE, PUBLISHER, 

No. ii CORNHILL. 
1874. 



.57 Cu 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, 

By HENRY A. COOKE, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



The Library 
of Congress 

WASHINGTON 



Stereotyped at the Boston Stereotype Foundry, 
19 Spring Lane. 



TO 

Smm ani % frunfe of Stamen, 

ESPECIALLY 

THOSE IN BOSTON AND VICINITY, WHO AIDED 

PHINEAS STOWE 

IN THE PROMOTION OF BETHEL WORK, 

W$& Volume 

IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED. 



PREFACE, 



It is now about thirty years since the Baptists 
of Boston commenced their Bethel enterprise. 
What was then regarded somewhat in the light 
of an experiment, has become an established and 
successful fact. The smile of Heaven has man- 
ifestly rested upon the efforts put forth in behalf 
of seamen, under the auspices of the Boston Bap- 
tist Bethel Society. 

The present has been thought a fitting time to 
gather up, in a permanent form, the most impor- 
tant facts and incidents that have attended the 
progress of the Society. This volume is the re- 
sult of such a purpose. 

It bears the name of Phineas Stowe, that apos- 
tle to seamen. And it could not be otherwise 
than that he, whose consecrated zeal and abound- 
ing labors contributed more than any other man's 
to make the Baptist Bethel the power for good 

3 



4 PREFACE. 

that it is, should have the foremost place in the 
record of its history. His honored name is for- 
ever identified with it. This volume is, therefore, 
both a memoir and a history. 

Many hands have been employed in its prep- 
aration, but the whole has passed under compe- 
tent supervision ; and it is sent forth to the public 
as an accurate and trustworthy account of the 
work which it commemorates, in the hope that 
the record of the past may, with the blessing of 
God, awaken fresh zeal among the churches in 
the cause of seamen. 

To those friends — their names already familiar 
to the public — who have so kindly contributed 
to the value and interest of this book by their 
communications, the compiler would express his 
sincere gratitude. 

To the favor of Him who has promised that 
the abundance of the sea shall be converted to 
Christ, this little volume is devoutly commended. 



CONTENTS. 



Chapter Page 

Introduction. .... 9 

I. The Bethel Pastor. . • . 11 

II. The Bethel Pastor — Continued. . 20 

III. Extract from a Sermon. . . 25 

IV. Great Sorrows. . . . • 37 
V. Recollections of Rev. Phineas Stowe. 50 

VI. Personal Reminiscences. . . 68 
VII. The Washingtonian Home. . . 77 
VIII. Midnight Meetings, Bazaar, and Dis- 
charged Soldiers' Home. . . 91 
IX. The Globe Hall Movement. . 98 
X. Life-Work of Phineas Stowe. — Traits 

of Character. .... 109 

XI. Mr. Stowe's Poetical Efforts. . 117 

XII. Extracts from Diary and Letters. . 125 

XIII. Personal Characteristics. . . 139 

XIV. Glimpses of the Past. . . . 143 
XV. Home Life of the Bethel Pastor. 152 

XVI. A Reminiscence. .... 160 

XVII. Mr. Stowe's Last Bethel Circle. . 164 

5 



CONTENTS. 



XVIII. 


Closing Scenes. 


175 


XIX. 


Memories and Tributes. . 


182 


XX. 


Memorial Letters. 


209 


XXI. 


Bethel Expansion. 


225 


XXII. 


Characteristics of a Sailor's Piety. 


229 


XXIII. 


The Rover at Rest. 


239 


XXIV. 


tt It it it 


246 


XXV. 


tt it tt tt 


251 


XXVI. 


tt tt tt a 


259 


XXVII. 


tt tt a a 


267 


XXVIII. 


tt tt n a 


274 


XXIX. 


it a a n 


2S0 


XXX. 


tt a it ti 


287 


XXXI. 


it it it it 


298 


XXXII. 


a a a tt 


302 


XXXIII. 


A Sketch of the Boston Baptist 






Bethel Society. 


308 


XXXIV. 


Boston Ladies' Bethel Society. 


324 


XXXV. 


Seed Sowing. .... 


329 


XXXVI. 


History of the Boston Baptist Beth- 






el Church. .... 


336 


• XXXVII. 


Boston Baptist Bethel Sabbath 






School. .... 


357 


XXXVIII. 


The Bethel Temperance Work. 


37o 


XXXIX. 


Two Aspects of the Work. . 


3S0 


XL. 


Testimonials to Bethel Work. 


383 


XLI. 


The Man and his Work. 


395 



INTRODUCTION. 



It is difficult, if not impossible, to estimate 
the relative importance of Christian work for 
different classes of people. To say nothing of 
the foreign field, vast and dark, with its un- 
counted millions who know not the Lord, there 
are many parts of the home field in urgent need 
of spiritual culture. One cannot name the In- 
dians, the Chinese, the Freedmen, without feel- 
ing that much needs to be done for them all. 
Yet certain circumstances give the Sailors a per- 
manent place among those to whom the gospel 
should be very freely offered. For, first, men of 
no other class find it so nearly impracticable, by 
reason of their way of life, to furnish themselves 
when on land with fit religious teachers and 

7 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

places of worship. The sea is their home ; on 
land they are but visitors ; now in this port, and 
then in that ; and therefore it is almost impossi- 
ble for them to establish and sustain public wor- 
ship, making for themselves a religious home. 
Secondly, men of no class are beset with stronger 
temptations to sin than sailors. On shore they 
are often in strange cities, where vice abounds, 
and cupidity spreads before them allurements to 
evil. Nothing less than the fear of God and the 
sense of eternal things will fortify them against 
the wiles of the adversary. Thirdly, men of no 
class are engaged in a service more closely con- 
nected with the general progress of mankind. 
We who live in quiet homes upon land are debt- 
ors to those who go down to the sea in ships, 
and do business in great waters. And, fourthly, 
men of no class have a better opportunity than 
sailors to show the excellence of true religion to 
the ignorant and the sinful. They sojourn in 
cities where idolatry prevails, and the Saviour is 
unknown. They can represent Christian life 



INTRODUCTION. 9 

where the missionary has not yet appeared. 
Alas, they too often misrepresent that life, and 
put obstacles in the missionary's path. 

The Baptist Bethel has, therefore, from the 
nature of its work, a claim on the sympathy 
and co-operation of Christians. And that work 
has been earnestly and wisely prosecuted for a 
quarter of a century. No one acquainted with 
the late Phineas Stowe can doubt his singular 
fitness to preach the gospel to sailors. His 
frankness of manner, his warmth of heart, his 
impulsive, impressive, unstudied eloquence, and 
his firm grasp of Christian truth, made him the 
man for the place. It was a joy to meet him ; it 
was an inspiration to hear him speak. The fire 
burned brightly in him, and we cannot doubt 
there will be many stars in his crown at last. 
But others will speak of him and of his work 
in the following pages more fully and adequately 
than the writer is able to do. Yet it may be 
proper for him to express his deep interest in 
the service to the kingdom of Christ and to the 



IO INTRODUCTION. 

cause of temperance and good morals which has 
been rendered by the Bethel, and his convic- 
tion that it deserves the cordial support of our 

churches. 

ALVAH HOVEY. 

Newton Centre, *) 
March, 1S74. > 



PHINEAS STOWE 



AND 



BETHEL WORK 



CHAPTER I. 



The Bethel Pastor. 




BY REV. ROLLIN H. NEALE, D. D. 

EV. PHINEAS STOWE was born in 
Milford, Conn., March 20, 18 12. At 
the age of fifteen he was engaged as a 
clerk in New Haven. It was there, at the begin- 
ning of my own ministry, that I became acquaint- 
ed with him. He was baptized by Rev. Elisha 
Cushman, July 2, 183 1, into the First Baptist 
Church in that city, of which I afterwards became 
pastor. The same loving spirit, the same fervency 
in prayer, sweetness of voice in sacred song, and 
readiness to every good word and work, which 

11 



12 PHINEAS STOWE 

gave such extraordinary power to his ministry 
in Boston, were apparent at that early period. 
I have often congratulated myself, and thanked 
God, that I was enabled to appreciate his 
worth. Those rare and golden qualities which 
made him so useful and beloved • as a private 
church-member, fitted him for eminent efficiency 
in a wider sphere. Modest and unassuming, 
he had at that time no thought of entering 
the ministry, but at my earnest solicitation he 
left a lucrative business, and entered upon a pre- 
paratory course of study, having previously mar- 
ried Emily, daughter of Isaac Smith, Esq., of 
Southington, Conn. He passed four or five 
years at the New Hampton Literary and The- 
ological Institution, and was greatly esteemed 
by the professors and his fellow-students. The 
late excellent John Newton Brown was one of 
his teachers, for whom he always cherished a 
great admiration. There was, indeed, in this 
case, a remarkable congeniality of spirit between 
the teacher and his appreciative and loving pupil. 
Mr. Stowe, after leaving New Hampton, was pas- 
tor, for two years, of the Baptist Church at South 
Danvers. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 3 



* 



Knowing him intimately, and feeling strongly- 
attached to him, I wanted him to work by my 
side, and persuaded him to come to Boston as a 
preacher to seamen. He came, and labored most 
diligently for over twenty years. He pursued his 
work with an enthusiasm which, in this field of 
Christian activity, certainly has never, before or 
since, been surpassed. It may be said of him, as 
John Foster said of the philanthropist Howard, 
"The intensity of his zeal was kept uniform by 
the power of the human mind forbidding it to be 
more, and the nature of the individual forbidding 
it to be less." He was adapted to his work, and 
his work to him. It fitted exactly all the pecu- 
liarities of his mind and heart, as the liquid metal 
the varied features of the mould into which it is 
cast. It filled his whole soul, and he went into 
it with all his might. He was constantly de- 
vising new plans, such as only he could think of, 
for benefiting, the sailor. The Soldier's Home, 
and the Mariner's Exchange, with its library and 
reading-room, originated with him ; he adminis- 
tered the temperance pledge to over five thou- 
sand, accompanied with the gift of the New Tes- 
tament, and also circulated thousands of anti- 
swearing cards. 



14 PHINEAS ST OWE 

There was no end to his conversations with 
individuals, in the streets, on the wharves, and at 
his own house. He would take the sailor to his 
parlor, and talk, and pray, and weep with him 
there. He would follow him with his influence 
when he went to sea, telling him to write to him, 
or, if he could not send letters, to keep a journal, 
and bring it home, if he should ever return. Not 
only the sailor, but the suffering soldier, was 
thought of by our brother. The Soldier's Home, 
at the south part of the city, was the fruit of his 
toil and the object of his tender care. The out- 
cast and the criminal also were reached by his 
warm and noble heart. He often went to the 
prison at Charlestown, and there was no visitor 
whose presence was more welcome to its unfor- 
tunate inmates. Fie would talk, and pray, and 
sing, and weep for an hour at the morning devo- 
tions, and on a Sunday protract the service to 
half past twelve ; and no one was tired. The 
prisoners would pray, and sing, and weep with 
him ; and not only so, but some of them were 
converted, and have given evidence, by their good 
conduct, as the warden has testified, of a thor- 
ough change in their heart and life. Mr. Stowe 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 5 

could not be satisfied without success. It was 
not enough to preach well, and pray well, and 
sing well, and have a good, comforting, and de- 
lightful meeting. There must be conversions. 
He would go to the hardened sinner, take him 
by the hand, plead with him with many tears, 
make him promise to give his heart to God, 
and then hold on to him till he did it. There 
was an unction upon him, heavenly and divine, 
and with it an influence which we all ought to 
have, but in which Christians, and even Christian 
ministers, like Christ's primitive disciples, are 
often sadly deficient, viz., a power to cast out 
devils. 

One of the worst convicts at Charlestown, who 
had resisted all other means, was subdued and 
melted under Mr. Stowe's appeals, and is now 
sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his 
right mind. Most characteristic was his first 
interview with the late William J. Butler, super- 
intendent of the Mariner's Exchange, whose his- 
tory, under the name of the " Rover at Rest," 
has been so graphically delineated by Mrs. Jane 
D. Chaplin. Upon this wanderer, penniless and 
alone, a stranger in a strange city, and surrounded 



1 6 PHINEAS ST OWE 

by temptations, to which he was beginning to 
yield, the eye of this mariner's shepherd lighted, 
and he was enfolded by him as in a mother's 
arms. 

To say that Mr. Stowe was honest in his pro- 
fession is not enough ; he was enthusiastic in 
it. He enjoyed his work. It was with him an 
absorbing passion. He never for a moment 
imagined that he was humbling himself in 
preaching to sailors and prisoners, and looking 
after the poor and the outcast. He was proud 
of such labor. There was a lofty bearing in his 
air and manner, as if he would say, " This is glo- 
rious ; this is a higher honor than I ever thought 
of reaching." He composed many an original 
hymn under the inspiration of his work, and 
would take his young converts — or " hopeful in- 
quirers," as he called them — to the prayer- 
meetings of the different churches, and talk about 
them affectionately, and with evident pride, as a 
fond and doting mother would of her children. 

There surely never was a man of a sweeter 
spirit than the late pastor of the Mariner's 
Church. He was the most guileless, unsuspect- 
ing, trustful man I ever knew. He was so good 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 7 

that he seemed to make everybody else good 
around him. You could not do or think any- 
thing wrong in his presence. Nor could any evil 
come nigh him. He could tread on scorpions, 
and take up serpents, and eat the deadliest thing, 
and it would not hurt him. 

Mr. Stowe, though strongly attached to his own 
denomination, yet sympathized with what was 
good and true everywhere. He mingled freely 
with all classes of Christians, and was accustomed 
to say, " There is a great deal of the spirit of 
Christ among what are called 'the world's people.' " 
His presence was welcome on all occasions. Peo- 
ple loved to see him walking the streets, and al- 
ways knew that he was on some good mission. 

The esteem in which Mr. Stowe was held in 
Boston was shared by the commonwealth, and 
indeed extended throughout New England. He 
often visited churches, associations, and state 
conventions, to present his cause, and plead for 
the sailor, and everybody loved to see him. His 
open countenance was sunshine ; his clear, sweet, 
sonorous voice in prayer and spiritual song gave 
new life to religious meetings. He was chaplain 
of the Massachusetts legislature in 1862. The 
2 



1 8 PHINEAS ST OWE 

members became greatly attached to him, and 
always invited him to be present at their re- 
unions, which continued for several years. 

Amid these signs of public respect for our 
brother, of confidence and love cherished for him 
by all classes in the community, it is delightful 
to remember that he was known everywhere as a 
Christian. He was never so happy as in preach- 
ing Jesus. His soul reached its highest enthusi- 
asm under the inspiration of the cross. His face 
would shine with a new light, and his voice war- 
ble forth its most charming melodies, when incar- 
nate and restoring love was the theme. I have 
known him for many years, and have been with 
him at all seasons, amid scenes of sorrow and of 
joy, and always to be only the more deeply im- 
pressed with the reality of heart-religion, and 
with the power and glory of the Christian faith. 
I remember his interest in religious revivals, the 
thrill of joy which pervaded the assembly, and 
the rays of hope which seemed to fall for the 
first time on many an anxious, tearful counte- 
nance, as he sang, — 

"I do believe, I now believe, 
That Jesus died for me." 



AND BETHEL WORK. 



19 



During the last year of his life, for twenty-six 
Sabbaths in succession, with but a single excep- 
tion, he led willing, rejoicing converts into the 
baptismal waters. He wished for no vacation, 
finding his highest pleasure in his work. At the 
urgent solicitation of his friends, however, he 
went away from Boston a few weeks in the sum- 
mer ; but he was soon heard of among the sailors 
in New York and the miners of Pennsylvania, 
praying with them, and preaching to them the 
word of life ; and he thus brought on the unnat- 
ural excitement which resulted in his premature 
death. 




wwm&mm 




CHAPTER II. 
The Bethel Pastor. 

(Continued.) 

T seems sad that so good a brother, 
whose spirit was so genial, gentle, and 
loving, should have to be put, in his 
last days, under restraint, and separated from 
familiar voices and familiar countenances. " Not 
one of all the many whom he loved, nor she 
whose name was woven with all the fibres of his 
heart, which was breaking within him then, was 
allowed to come and speak peace unto him." 
This restriction was imposed, as I happen to 
know, against the entreaties of his wife, who 
pleaded tearfully to see her husband once more. 
It was imposed by the attending physician, and 
in judicious kindness, no doubt, from a fear that 
the excitement of the interview might endanger 
his patient's life, which he hoped to save. To 
him, however, in his illusion, it was a Gethsemane 
experience, like that in the history of his Master, 
of which he plaintively sang, — 



AND BETHEL WORK. 21 

"'Twas midnight, and from all removed 
The Saviour wrestles lone with fears ; 
E'en that disciple whom he loved 

Heeds not his Master's grief and tears." 

In those scenes of suffering, however, we 
should reverently recognize the hand of God. 
From that asylum has gone forth a voice which 
shall continue to echo forever over land and sea. 
The scene of his death was a pulpit of power. 
The sailor on the ocean, the prisoner in his cell, 
the sons and daughters of want everywhere, will 
drop a tear, and offer prayer, and make a solemn 
vow of consecration to God, as they hear of it. 

The brain of our brother gave way under the 
pressure of his incessant labors, but his heart 
was sound to the last. In his lone room he con- 
tinued to offer prayer for himself, his wife, his 
child. He thought tenderly of his church, and 
sent to remembered personal friends messages of 
love. To the last moment of life he imagined 
himself still on his chosen field of toil, with his 
harness girded on, and he died with those char- 
acteristic words on his lips, "Doctor, I have a 
mighty work to do." 

The funeral services were held at his church, 
corner of Hanover and North Bennet Streets, on 



22 PHINEAS STOWB 

Monday, November 1 6, 1868. The ministers of 
the city were present in a body, and walked in 
procession from the house to the church, not as 
a professional service, but as real mourners. 
Among them was the venerable Father Cleave- 
land, who had nearly reached his hundredth year. 
All felt that they had sustained a personal be- 
reavement, and each seemed to say, as he looked 
upon the countenance of the dead, " I am dis- 
tressed for thee, my brother. Very pleasant hast 
thou been unto me." Crowds were unable to gain 
admission to the church, already filled to its utmost 
capacity. They remained patiently standing in 
the streets for three and four hours, hoping, if 
possible, to get one more look at their dear 
friend. The funeral was conducted by his early 
pastor, but others took part in the services — 
Baron Stow, William Hague, J. D. Fulton, 
George W. Gardner, William V. Garner, George 
J. Carlton, D. C. Eddy, S. W. Foljambe, and O. T. 
Walker, and also Father Cleaveland, whose words 
of personal friendship for the deceased touched 
every heart. Rev. R. G. Toles was also present, 
with a class of his " Little Wanderers," who sang 
sweetly, yet plaintively, on the occasion. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 23 

The sailor and the soldier, many a widow and 
orphan, were present, each having a story to tell 
of kind words uttered, or of some timely help 
they had received from him whom on earth they 
could see and hear no more. I noticed in the 
assembly, and very properly among the mourners, 
the good, faithful colored woman who had for 
some time lived in his family. She loved him as 
a friend and pastor, and expressed her devotion 
strongly. She still lives, and cherishes his mem- 
ory most tenderly. She often says, and says 
truly, " He was a saint, if there ever was one." 
Blessings upon her. I remember her care of 
him in his weakness, her anxiety during his un- 
natural excitement, and how, before his removal 
to the asylum, she kept up nightly vigils, lest 
harm should come to him. 

The members of the Bethel Church were 
deeply affected. They were bound to their pas- 
tor by an almost idolatrous attachment. Nor 
was he less esteemed and beloved by other 
churches in the city and vicinity, whom he often 
visited, and who contributed liberally, and always 
most cheerfully, to the cause so dear to him. 
Mercantile firms, upon whom his calls for charity 



24 PHINEAS ST OWE 

were ever welcome, and promptly responded to, 
gratuitously supplied the material for draping his 
church in mourning, and many of them closed 
their stores during the funeral ceremonies. The 
pulpit, organ, and galleries were arrayed with 
the insignia of sorrow. Tender memories and 
impressive mottoes were conspicuous in different 
parts of the dimly-lighted sanctuary, such as, 
" Jesus wept ; " " There is sorrow on the sea ; " 
" He judged the cause of the poor and needy ; " 
" In duty's strife his spirit passed away ; " " Bless- 
ed is he that considereth the poor;" "We miss 
him ; " " He rests from his labors, and his works 
do follow him ; " not omitting those last mem- 
orable words, which, though uttered under a 
mental illusion, were in reality the vital and in- 
spiring sentiment of his whole life, " Doctor, I 
have a mighty work to do." 




^B™^^^^^^^^^^3 



CHAPTER III. 
Extract from a Sermon. 




BY REV. D. C. EDDY, D. D. 

R. STOWE entered upon his work in 
Boston with very different views from 
those which had been entertained by 
his predecessors. 'The son of a sailor, and the 
brother of a sailor/ as he often used to say, he 
entered with the most unselfish zeal into the great 
enterprise to which, henceforth, his life was to be 
devoted. His theory was, that the sailor was a 
man ; to be treated as a man ; reasoned with and 
convinced as a man. He despised the clap-trap 
devices often used to win the sons of the sea. 
On entering the Bethel, he found for a pulpit 
the stern of a boat, over which the minister had 
been accustomed to address the people. He had 
it removed, and a neat desk put in its place. 

25 



26 PHINEAS ST OWE 

From the outset, he acted on the conviction that 
sailors wish to be treated like other human beings. 
To allure blacksmiths, we do not have an anvil in 
church. To draw coopers, we do not preach out 
of a barrel. To win shoemakers, the pulpit is 
not made in the form of a shoe. The sailor at 
church does not wish to be reminded of the 
quarter-deck, nor of the forecastle, nor does he 
desire to have a discourse interlarded with sailor- 
talk. Mr. Stowe acted on this idea. He put the 
emblem of the cross and the devices of religion 
where his predecessors had put the symbols of 
the sea. 

" As he labored on, his great heart seemed to 
expand with projects for the good of seamen. 
He was ever thinking up some plan to benefit 
them. He was restless, impatient to save them, 
to save their families, to make them comfortable 
here, and happy hereafter. His mind seemed to 
be a field out of which, in every direction, were 
springing up projects to advance the interests of 
his seafaring charge. 

" The idea of a sailor's burial-ground sprang up 
in that soil, and culminated in that sacred spot, 
that ' God's acre,' at Woodlawn. He found men 



AND BETHEL WORK. 27 

dying in the city, with no friends to bury them, 
and he said, 'The sailor shall have a resting- 
place for his poor body "when the voyage of life 
is over.' He first purchased a receiving tomb 
on Copp's Hill, where the bodies could be in- 
terred until their friends could claim them 
Then came the lot, in which his own monument 
now stands, put there by pious hands, with the 
bodies of seamen sown all around it. Many a 
dying sailor has had reason to bless his name, 
and to be thankful that when he should cease to 
breathe, his body would not be hurried into some 
pauper lot in a city graveyard, nor lowered into 
the pathless sea, to remain until the resurrection 
in his undistinguishable resting-place. That 
sailor lot at Woodlawn grew in the heart of 
Phineas Stowe. 

Then came the idea of a mission ship he called 
the " Adoniram Judson," to be manned by Chris- 
tian sailors, and to ply between Boston and for- 
eign ports, bearing missionaries of the cross to 
distant lands. It was to be a combination of 
the " school ship " with the " mission ship." The 
denomination did not see as he did, and the ship 
was never launched. The project was deemed 



28 PHINEAS STOWE 

absurd by us, but government took up one end 
of his idea, and it exists in the u school ship " in 
our harbor ; and the Congregationalists took the 
other end of the idea, and wrought it into the 
" Morning Star." The mind of Mr. Stowe com- 
bined the two, and no one now but must regret 
that he did not have encouragement to try the 
experiment, and test the project. 

The little old Bethel on the corner of Lewis 
Street was a little heaven below to many who 
were converted there. To Mr. Stowe himself it 
was a paradise on earth. Dingy, dark as it was, 
it glowed like Tabor's top to him. But a church 
was needed, and the old Universalist building on 
Hanover Street was for sale. It was an old his- 
toric spot. On it Samuel Mather preached, more 
than a hundred years ago. By several changes 
it had come into the hands of the Universalists, 
under John Murray, Edward Mitchell, and Paul 
Dean. The house now standing was built for 
Sebastian Streeter, in those days when it was 
supposed that Universalism would grow to some- 
thing great. It was in collecting money to pur- 
chase that edifice that Mr. Stowe undermined 
his constitution, and contracted those diseases 



AND BETHEL WORK. 29 

from which he never fully recovered. The long 
walks from house to house, the tedious stair- 
climbing to find the offices of merchants, and 
the frequent exposure necessary to secure his 
object, told upon his physical nature. But he 
succeeded. The house was bought, paid ' for, 
dedicated, and filled with sailors, and from that 
day to this there has been no Bethel enterprise 
in Boston with success comparable with this. 

On leaving the old Bethel, he desired that his 
" old battle-ground," as he termed it, should not 
be abandoned ; and opening it as " The Mariner's 
Exchange," with library, reading-room, and col- 
porterage, he sustained it until the last. He 
must have collected at least fifteen hundred dol- 
lars per annum, outside of the boundaries of his 
own denomination. Some of his best friends 
urged him to abandon the " Exchange," but he 
saw the good it was doing, and would not yield. 
Not one of those friends would now have the 
benign work of that institution undone. 

Then up grew another plan of usefulness. 
His active mind saw another work — an institu- 
tion to take young transgressors out of the hand 
of the law, and reform them ; a place to which 



30 PHINEAS ST OWE 

the victim of inebriation would be taken, instead 
of being carried to the station-house ; a refuge 
for any young girl who should escape from a den 
of infamy ; the temporary home for any person 
who had broken law, but who, in the opinion of 
the judges, needed reformation more than pun- 
ishment. The " Quincy Home" was- the result 
of that idea. A house was secured, fitted up, 
and a good work carried on. The idea was a 
noble one ; and could he have had the requisite 
aid, it would have become one of the grandest 
institutions Boston ever had. It went down 
after some years, not because it had proved a 
failure, nor because Mr. Stowe was weary of it, 
but because his helpers failed him. He ever felt 
that the abandonment of it was a serious mis- 
take. 

When war broke over our land, a new field of 
usefulness was opened to him. As the soldiers 
came home, wounded, bleeding, and dying, from 
the field' of battle, he thought of a " Soldier's 
Home," and at once set to work to secure one. 

For a season he labored almost alone in this 
noble work. He first opened a refuge for the 
weary ones at the North End ; and there the 



AND BETHEL WORK. 3 1 

soldier, wounded in the fight, and friendless, came 
to be blessed by his warm sympathy and his 
pious instructions. But a work so grand could 
not long remain unknown. The public attention 
was turned to it. The charitable people of Bos- 
ton came to his assistance, Governor Andrew and 
Mayor Lincoln gave him their approbation, and 
at length the building, long used for a Female 
Medical College, on Springfield Street, was se- 
cured and employed for that purpose. Whether 
any other man would have succeeded in calling 
attention to this subject, we do not know ; but 
we do know that no other did, and all the good 
done in that Home can be traced to the active 
brain and loving heart of Phineas Stowe. He 
ought to have the credit for it ; and when in 
future the history of Boston's part in the war is 
written, his name shall be inserted among those 
who at home had a heart as loyal, a zeal as true, 
and a fidelity as active, . as those who used the 
musket and the sword. 

But we must pass over much that was noble 
and grand in his life ; over his great temperance 
work — he was a temperance alliance in him- 
self; over the particulars of his sufferings and 



32 PH1NEAS STOWE 

death ; over that sad winding up of a glorious 
career ! Glorious, I say, for to Mr. Stowe Bos- 
ton is indebted for its public charities more than 
to any other man of this generation. 

His last words are said to have been, a I have 
a mighty work to do." It was this mighty work 
that crushed him. His was a completely ex- 
hausted organism. Brain and body were alike 
worn out. He gave himself no time for recupera- 
tion, no time for rest, no time to improve wasted 
resources. It was tireless devotion to "his work, 
not his duty, for duty did not require so much. 
He did what thousands of others are doing — 
worked without rest, without sleep, without prop- 
er regard to physical needs, and the result we 
have in his untimely death. 

Brother Stowe had contemplated a visit to 
the Holy Land. He had worked for more than 
twenty years, and thought himself entitled to 
some relaxation of this kind, and his mind for a 
year or two had been wrought up to the point of 
asking the Bethel Board to grant him a furlough 
of five or six months for this purpose. He wanted 
to travel in Ireland, and go and look upon the 
shore that received the dead body of Helen when 



AND BETHEL WORK. 33 

she was washed up from the infuriate deep ; to 
walk through that noble Sailor's Home in Liver- 
pool ; to go to London, and listen, with six thou- 
sand others, to the wonderful man of the Metropol- 
itan Tabernacle ; to stand among Alpine glaciers, 
and admire great and interesting scenes ; to see 
Rome, and gaze upon the glory and shame of St. 
Peter's ; to visit Palestine, and kiss, as the Cru- 
saders did, the soil made sacred by 

" Those blessed feet, which eighteen hundred years ago 
Were nailed for our advantage 
To a cross ; " 

to stand on Olivet, and gaze on the doomed city 
of God ; to find Gethsemane at its base, and bow 
where Christ bowed, and weep where he wept ; 
to cross the Kedron, and enter Jerusalem ; to 
find Calvary, where stood the cross, and linger 
there until he himself was crucified with Christ. 
And when insanity settled upon him, the idea 
seemed uppermost in his mind. He wanted to 
go to Jerusalem ! 

And he has gone — not to God-cursed Pales- 
tine, but to the New Jerusalem, to the innumera- 
ble company of angels, to the church of the first 
born. He has seen Christ ere this. He knows 
3 



34 PHINEAS ST OWE 

what that saying means, " the New Jerusalem 
which cometh down from God out of heaven." 
The city of Boston misses him. He was one of 
the largest hearted philanthropists, but in heav- 
en he will have his home. 

Some blamed Brother Stowe, because he 
engaged in so many enterprises. Some thought, 
and said, that he had better attend to his pulpit 
work and let the outside schemes alone. When he 
gave so much time to the Washingtonian Home, 
of which he was a prime mover, — an institution 
concerning which the superintendent remarked 
emphatically, that " there are to-day merchants 
and business men in this city whose yearly taxes 
are larger than the entire expense of the Home, 
of which they were once the inmates, and by 
whose instrumentality, under the blessing of God, 
they have been made what they are," — and when 
he labored so hard at Globe Hall, where he did 
so much good among a class shut out from 
church privileges, — some thought, and said, that 
he had better attend to his church, and let these 
side movements go. And as each successive plan 
was broached, there were those to say to him, 
" Stay at home, take care of your pulpit, attend 



AND BETHEL WORK. 35 

to your church, and let these things fall on 
others." 

I thought so, and said so. But, as on the day 
of his funeral I stood in the Bethel pulpit, and 
looked down on that dear, dead face, I was 
sorry for it. I asked pardon of every line and 
feature of it. I besought forgiveness for mis- 
understanding that noble heart, whose throbbings 
had ceased forever. I am convinced that Mr. 
Stowe had a better idea, a nobler conception of 
Christianity, than his brethren. He may not 
always have worked wisely, but he saw that the 
religion of Christ must go outside of its elegant 
sanctuaries, leave its padlocked pews, forsake its 
gentility and fastidiousness, and go forth to meet 
mankind, and lift fallen humanity up to God. 
And we must come to that idea, or a century 
from now there will be no church. We cannot 
save the world as we are now trying to do it. 
The churches of Asia Minor, the church in the 
days of Constantine, the churches of the middle 
ages, made no more fearful mistakes, in one 
direction, than we are making now in another 
direction. I believe the sainted dead saw what 
we do not see, what our churches do not see, but 



36 



PHINEAS STOWB 



must be seen, or the damage will be fearful. A 
Christianity that runs mostly to elegant churches, 
and fashionable piety, and not to hospitals, 
asylums, and noble charities, will, in the end, be 
rejected by God and man. 




CHAPTER IV. 
Great Sorrows. 

" God doth not leave his own! 
This sorrow in their life he doth permit, 

Yea, useth it 
To speed his children on their heavenward way; 
He guides the wind. Faith, Hope, and Love all say 
God doth not leave his own." 




HE death of a child often changes the 
whole tenor of a person's life. Es- 
pecially true was this of Mr. Stowe. 
In his early marriage, while residing in New 
Haven, he was afflicted in the loss of two in- 
teresting children at the respective ages of eleven 
and fifteen months. In each of these events he 
heard a voice calling upon him to make a com- 
plete consecration of all his powers to the service 
of Christ, and he here received what he con- 
sidered an effectual call to the ministry. En- 
gaged in a lucrative business, and even then, as 
the result of industry, indomitable energy, and 
perseverance, the owner of a neat little home, it 
37 



38 PHINEAS STOWB 

required decision of character, as well as strength 
of religious principle, to abandon the prospect of 
worldly emolument, which one possessing his 
traits had a right to anticipate, and look steadily 
in the face years of poverty which would inevita- 
bly be the result of entering upon a course of 
study preparatory to the gospel ministry. " What 
is duty ?" was with him the question to be decided. 
When that was once settled, his course was plain. 
This alteration in his life-plan involved a cor- 
responding change in his wife's duties and re- 
sponsibilities. In this matter, as in every other 
pertaining to his well-being and increasing use- 
fulness, she was, without doubt, a judicious 
adviser. Sad, indeed, for him was that day in 
the month of May, 1852, when this wife of his 
youth — she upon whom almost entirely had 
rested the cares of home, in order that his time 
might be wholly given to the prosecution of his 
great work — was, without a moment's warning, 
stricken down by his side. In after years it was 
his delight to acknowledge in terms of loving 
praise, his indebtedness to her keen penetration 
and sagacious judgment. As gold is purified 
from alloy in the refiner's fire, so each new af- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 39 

fliction seemed to give increased intensity and 
brilliancy to Mr. Stowe's Christian experience. 
" With every child we lose, we see deeper into 
life, as with every added lens we pierce farther 
the sky." " Thou destroyest the hope of man," 
was often the fitting expression of his sorrowing 
heart ; yet he could add, " If God takes all, I will 
yet trust and rejoice in him." 

Another sad event in his life was the loss 
of his eldest daughter, who perished with her 
husband, December 9, 1861, on the coast of 
Ireland. "On her father's side she had de- 
scended from a sea-faring ancestry, and the 
daring spirit of the old Vikings seemed to have 
descended to her through them ; while at the 
same time she was warm-hearted and generous. 
Her pleasant features, blue and laughing eyes, 
cheeks rosy with the mantling flush of health, 
and a wealth of glossy brown hair, gave to the 
eye of the beholder a picture worthy the pencil 
of a Claude or a Raphael ; and the ever-ready 
smile and look of sympathy, the pleasant, social 
ways, half playful, half dignified, completed the 
charm. While her father was pastor of a church 
in Danvers, Mass., she attended her first school, 



40 PHINEAS ST OWE 

a private one, where she made daily progress in 
her studies." At the early age of twelve she 
had the misfortune to be deprived of a loving 
mother's care and judicious counsel, and her 
father being wholly absorbed in his great work, 
she naturally came under a varied influence. 
About this time she was placed in a school pre- 
eminent for excellence, in New Haven, Conn. 
Of her deportment there her teacher writes, — 

" Her child-like simplicity of manners and her 
confiding, winning ways towards those she loved 
made her a general favorite. Even when her 
preference led her to conceive a different plan 
from the one I might have laid, and though pos- 
sessed of a strong will, naturally, she never gave 
me pain by unwillingly yielding a point, but 
would say, ' I feel that you know what is best/ 
and again, ' I was a foolish child for ever think- 
ing thus and so.' She evinced a love of poetry 
which well accorded with her musical ear. Her 
voice in song was particularly sweet, and had 
great compass for one of her years. I had much 
pleasure and satisfaction in her as a Sabbath 
school pupil, for she ever manifested much in- 
terest in the Bible lessons by her uniform atten- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 4 1 

tion and inquisitiveness during the exercises, 
often referring afterwards to some point in the 
lessons of practical importance, and offering a 
spontaneous remark, many times quite pertinent. 
She was quick to appreciate interest manifested 
for seamen, remarking, ' I like Dr. Cleveland, for 
he always prays for the sailor.' " 

She afterwards attended the High School in 
Milford, Conn., of which the Rev. E. C. Baldwin, 
now pastor of a Congregational Church in that 
state, was then principal. Of Helen he writes, 
" Pier personal appearance was pleasing. She 
had a charming voice, and was chief singer in 
our excellent school choir during her stay. I 
ever felt grateful to her for the influence she 
exerted in my school for good." Her music 
teacher writes, " With Helen I was acquainted 
from her childhood, and having been connected 
with her musical education, I felt great interest 
in her advancement. She was gifted beyond her 
years, and at a very early age had charge of the 
instrumental portion of the musical service in the 
chapel where her father preached. Her voice 
was pure and clear, and well adapted to lead. 
The last time I met her in a large circle of 



42 PHINEAS STOWE 

friends, she sang with much effect, a song com- 
mencing, — 

* The dearest spot on earth to me 

Is home, sweet home ; 

The fairy land I long to see 

Is home, sweet home.' 

I can even now seem to hear her clear, bird-like 
notes as they fell on the listening ears of that 
large company. She had a kind look and word 
for all, and her graceful and delicate manner 
drew forth expressions of pleasure from those 
who visited her father's house." 

In early life, we trust, she became a subject of 
renewing grace ; and happy, indeed, was that day, 
when the father buried his child with Christ in 
baptism, and received her into the fellowship of 
the church of which he was pastor. As Mr. 
Stowe's whole heart and soul were engaged in 
benefiting seamen, and anything that would con- 
duce to their well-being and happiness was a 
joy to him, it is unnecessary to say that Helen's 
subsequent marriage to Captain W. H. Staples, of 
Biddeford, Me., a noble-hearted officer, gave him 
great pleasure. The ceremony was performed at 
his home, in Baldwin Place, February 21, 1859. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 43 

She enjoyed exceedingly her first voyage up the 
Mediterranean. The bark which her husband 
commanded carried stores to our naval station 
at Spezzia ; also visited Marseilles and Gibraltar. 
On their return voyage an event occurred, the 
recital of which we give in her own words. 

"On Sunday, the 19th of February, Dick, the 
little cabin-boy, was sent into the maintop to furl 
one of the light sails, when he slipped, and down 
he came into the water. The captain thinks he 
was careless, for it was a beautiful day, and very 
calm. The ship was put about, the boat lowered, 
and four stout men rowed with all their might to- 
wards him. While they were on their way, the 
man at the wheel waved his hat, and I my hand- 
kerchief, to encourage the poor boy all we could ; 
but I can never forget my feelings at that moment. 
Just as the boat reached him, he went down for 
the last time. The sailors caught the body, how- 
ever, and brought it on board. They worked 
over him for two hours, but it was of no avail ; 
poor little Dick was dead. He fell about twelve 
o'clock, and at four o'clock he was wrapped in 
his winding-sheet, ready to be launched into the 
bosom of old Ocean. I had kept up my courage 



44 PHINEAS STOWE 

very well until then ; but it seemed so hard to 
bury him at sea ! He had been a great favorite 
of mine. I had talked with him a great deal, and 
tried to give him good advice ; but when he was 
taken from us, how my conscience reproached 
me for not having been more faithful to him ! 
February 20, at half past one o'clock in the after- 
noon, his little body was placed on a plank and 
brought to the gangway. All hands were called, 
and the colors placed at half-mast. O, how I 
wished father was with us to conduct the services. 
The captain said it was my duty to read the 
burial service, as I was the only professing 
Christian on board. I felt it a duty, and asked 
for strength to assist me. It was given. When 
all was ready, the captain came for me, and I 
went and stood beside the body, and read the 
service ; and when I came to the passage, ' We 
commit his body to the deep,' they tipped the 
plank, and the body sank to the unfathomable 
depths of the ocean. It was a solemn scene. 
A funeral on shore is nothing compared with 
it. I trust you may ever be spared the pain 
of witnessing such a scene, for it is heart- 
rending." 



AND BETHEL WORK. 45 

Her last voyage was in the ill-fated ship Gold- 
en Star, which left Mobile for Liverpool, No- 
vember 16, i860. " They encountered heavy gales 
a fortnight before the final wreck, which, suc- 
ceeding a brief lull of the storm, occurred De- 
cember 29. After the ship was disabled, fol- 
lowed by cutting away of her masts, she struck 
upon the rocks on Carnivan Head. The attempt 
to send lines from the ship, and also from the 
shore, by rockets, failed, and the anchors thrown 
out failed to hold, and in half an hour after strik- 
ing, she went to pieces." 

As Mr. Stowe did not hear of the ship's arrival 
in Liverpool, he began to express apprehensions 
of danger ; but just at this time, a kind Prov- 
idence opened the way for him to become so 
completely absorbed in his Master's work, that 
Everything earthly became of secondary impor- 
tance. The pastor of the Baptist Church at 
Foxboro', Mass., was holding a series of re- 
vival meetings, and wrote, urging Mr. Stowe to 
come and assist him in the work. To such a 
Macedonian cry he could not turn a deaf ear. A 
few days from that time the Ladies' Bethel Circle 
was to meet at his house, and he was to return 



46 PHINEAS ST OWE 

on the evening preceding the occasion ; but, be- 
coming so wholly engrossed in the work that his 
soul loved, — the salvation of the lost, — the pro- 
posed meeting escaped his mind. As he did not 
return at the appointed time, I wrote, reminding 
him of the event. The letter was handed him 
the following morning, as he sat in the church. 
With the rapidity of thought, the whole affair 
flashed before him, and his apparent negligence 
distressed him. Instantly he arose, made a state- 
ment of the matter to the congregation, and, as 
the letter from home contained no news of the 
absent children, his apprehensions increased, and 
he intimated that he was fearful some great sor- 
row awaited him, and requested prayers that sus- 
taining grace might be granted in his impending 
trial. In the mean time, friends had communi- 
cated to me the sad intelligence that our loved 
ones were ingulfed in the sea. But while my 
heart was surcharged with grief, — for very dear 
were Helen and her husband to us all, — my own 
sorrow was soon merged in intense anxiety for 
one still dearer. His heart was even then bleed- 
ing over the loss of our darling boy, whom God 
had taken five months previously. For an in- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 47 

stant, I doubted the power of grace to sustain 
him in this fearful blasting of long-cherished 
hopes. When he came, although I had been 
necessitated again and again to seek divine aid 
for power to impart strength in that hour of an- 
guish, — in times of great sorrow it is comforting 
to have a human arm on which to lean, as well as 
a divine one, — the thought of his coming agony 
caused my face to assume an ashen hue, which 
he instantly perceived. Immediately approaching 
me with his usual loving greeting, he said, hold- 
ing up the Life of Miiller, which he had been 
reading in the cars, — 

" Dear wife, I am going to fling myself out on 
God more than I have ever yet done." 

How wonderfully was the way opened for the 
sad disclosure ! 

" Well," I replied, " God has always been good 
to us — has he not ? He was good even when 
he took our darling Charlie." 

" Yes," he said ; " but what now ? Is Helen 
dead ? Is the captain lost ? Is the ship lost ? 
And are they all gone ? " 

" Yes," I said. 

For an instant his eyes, which were riveted 



48 PHINEAS ST OWE 

upon me, flashed with an unearthly fire. Then, 
raising both hands, and clasping them tightly 
together, looking up, he said, "Though he slay 
me, yet will I trust in him." 

For a time, his distress was too deep for tears. 
His anguish found vent only in heart-rending 
groans. Soon he went into another room, and, 
closing the door, was alone with his God and his 
grief. It seemed best not at once to enter. Re- 
membering his Master's agony in the garden, I 
did not know but an invisible angel might be 
sent to strengthen this beloved disciple in his 
hour of anguish. At last, timidly opening the 
door, I ventured in, when he instantly approached ; 
throwing his arms about me, and laying his head 
upon my shoulder, he burst into tears, when he 
was gradually restored to calmness. 

From the intensity of that shock his nervous 
system never fully recovered. Years after, when, 
from this cause and the effect of his herculean 
labors, his brain gave way, he referred often, and 
in the most touching manner, to this afflictive 
dispensation. His last allusion to it, in my hear- 
ing, was this : " After I have been in heaven a 
thousand years, I may some day hear a sweet 



AND BETHEL WORK. '49 

voice singing by my side, and I slall turn, and say, 
1 Helen, is this you ? ' ' Yes, father, I am here/ 
will be her reply." He intimated that he should 
feast his eyes for a thousand years upon Jesus 
before he should desire to turn his gaze even upon 
one whom on earth he had so tenderly loved. 
His grief found expression in the following lines : 

" Bright ocean, thee we love ! 

Dear forms are there, 

Resting, no more to rove, 

Safe from all care. 
Low in thy depths they rest; 
No howling storms molest; 
Their souls are with the blest, 
All safely moored. 

"The sea shall yield her trust, 
Loved ones shall rise 
And shine among the just, 

Above the skies. 
There we shall see their forms, 
Safe from all wrecking storms, 
Clothed with unrivalled charms 
By Jesus given. 

" Ocean, then safely keep 
Thy sacred trust; 
In their wide grave they'll sleep 

Till Gabriel's blast 
Shall sound o'er sea and land; 
Then all mankind must stand, 
A sad or joyful band, 

Before God's throne." 

S. A. C. 
4 



CHAPTER V. 
Recollections of Rev. Phineas Stowe. 




BY REV. W. LAMSON, D. D. 

REGRET that, with me, these recol- 
lections are so few and fragmentary. 
I first remember Mr. Stowe as the 
pastor of an infant Baptist Church', in what was 
then a part of my native town, South Danvers, 
now Peabody. I used occasionally to meet him 
on my visits home, and received the impression 
that he was a fervent, devoted, indefatigable 
laborer. From the year 1848 to 1850 I was 
pastor of the Middle Street Church, Portsmouth, 
New Hampshire. During these years Brother 
Stowe was engaged in his Bethel work, in Bos- 
ton. He was at a distance from me. But on 
several occasions, when a naval ship arrived at 

50 



AND BETHEL WORK. . 5 1 

the navy-yard, across the river, Brother Stowe 
came to Portsmouth, to look after the interests 
of the men about to be discharged. At such 
times he made my house his home, and I had 
an opportunity to witness his singular devotion 
and enthusiasm in his work, and to know some- 
thing of the great power which he had over ap- 
parently hardened and reckless men. He knew, 
as few men ever did, the way to the heart of a 
sailor. His power was the power of love. If 
each man of a large crew had been his own 
brother, he could not have felt and manifested a 
deeper interest in all that pertained to his wel- 
fare. And the sailors loved him. On one oc- 
casion there was some of the waste of the ship 
that belonged, by custom, to the crew. The 
amount would be from fifty to a hundred dollars. 
The crew were gathered on deck to decide by 
vote what should be done with the avails. One 
hardy tar moved that it be given to " Brother 
Stowe." The motion was seconded, and im- 
mediately carried, without a dissenting voice. 
Accordingly, a beautiful piece of silver was 
bought, and suitably inscribed, and a public meet- 
ing was held in the largest hall in the city, and 



52 PHINEAS ST OWE 

in the presence of the whole crew and a large 
number of the citizens, a sailor made the pres- 
entation with a characteristic speech, and Broth- 
er Stowe responded. An hour or two were 
passed in singing and addresses, and the crew 
of that ship left the hall, every one of them, I 
doubt not, rejoicing in the disposition they had 
made of their money. 

In 1859 I removed to my present' home and 
field of labor, in Brookline ; and from that time 
till his death I met Brother Stowe frequently, on 
my visits to the city, and always received from 
him a hearty greeting. I was always interested 
in his sustained enthusiasm in his work. It 
never seemed to flag. It was, indeed, this burn- 
ing zeal that consumed his vital energies, and 
brought his life to such a sudden and lamented 
close. The tension was too great, too uninter- 
rupted, and the cord snapped. It might have 
been anticipated, but I doubt if it could have 
been hindered. His work was done, and he 
entered into his rest, not here, but there. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 53 



A Friend of the Friendless. 

One winter, many years ago, Rev. Phineas 
Stowe was our guest from Saturday to Monday. 
His heart was then full of pity and yearning love 
for the wretched outcasts, for whose souls so few 
seemed to care, and the burden of his conversa- 
tion was, " The Home for the Fallen," which he 
had just then established. 

Talking on the wants of this class, and the re- 
sponsibility of the virtuous in regard to them, he 
became so excited that he could not keep his 
seat. Well do we remember the enthusiasm and 
the eloquence with which he talked of the work 
he had laid out, and the results he expected to 
see in that — to other men — almost hopeless 
field. He spoke of the pressure which had al- 
most forced him to turn his own home into a 
temporary inebriate asylum, bringing pain, and 
care, and labor on one who had then gone to her 
reward. He seemed pained at the thought of 
the sleepless nights, and the scenes of distress 
through which she had passed, because there was 
then no place in all this Christian city where 



54 PHINEAS STOWE 

such unfortunates could be cared for, with refer- 
ence to their reform. 

Many a time had he brought " poor boys " home 
who had fallen into evil hands, and who, but for 
that one night's shelter and kindness, would have 
gone to ruin. One of these, maddened with 
some of the vile compounds called whiskey, he 
took home, attended himself, gave him a soothing 
draught, and, as he thought, settled him in a 
comfortable bed for the night. 

But no sooner was the house quiet, and the 
family asleep, than the demon that had taken 
possession of his young guest awoke in fury, 
causing him to fill the house with his cries and 
groans. He refused to let even his best friend 
approach him. The wildest delirium set in, and 
it became really necessary that some one should 
administer medicine to him. Mr. Stowe himself, 
used as he was to such scenes, trembled at sight 
of the suffering he could not even attempt to 
alleviate. The sainted woman, who stood shoul- 
der to shoulder with him in his work, then took 
a glass in her hand, walked firmly into the room, 
and placed it to the lips of the infuriated man. 
Her presence and courage soothed the affrighted 



AND BETHEL WORK. 55 

spirit of the sufferer. The medicine was taken 
without a word, and, in the calm presence of that 
brave woman, the poor victim of men worse than 
himself sank again into a quiet sleep. 

Mr. Stowe was not, like many enthusiastic re- 
formers, bitter against all who did not perform 
just such work as he felt had been laid on him. 
He did not even justify himself for allowing the 
sanctity of his home to have been thus invaded, 
but only felt that for him there was then no 
other way ; and he used this as an argument why 
a "home" should be founded, to shelter and save 
the fallen. He even spoke with pain of the sac- 
rifices his wife had made, and the sufferings she 
had endured, in helping him to carry out his 
plans for this class. 

He saw the authorities winking at rum-making 
and rum-selling, and the keepers of saloons and 
sailor boarding-houses growing rich on the blood 
of their victims ; and he saw the virtuous com- 
munity, and even the Christian church, almost 
asleep to the evil. So he felt the burden of it 
resting on his own soul, and was crying mightily 
to God to stay the torrent, and to save those 
already in its deep waters. During an animated 



56 PHINEAS STOWE 

recital of scenes in his labors, he spoke playfully, 
and with evident pleasure, of the remarks made 
about him, and of the esteem in which he was 
held among the poor and degraded, and related 
the following, which shows the strong power his 
gentle spirit exercised over them. 

One day, when passing down Richmond Street, 
he saw a crowd gathered, and, concluding there 
might be work for him there, he went towards it. 

A tremendously powerful black man, with 
strong fighting propensities, made stronger by 
drink, was in the hands of two men (probably 
policemen), who were doing their best to get him 
to the station-house. But their strength was put 
to the test ; for such was his power, that if he 
got one hand loose for a moment, he used it most 
vigorously on his captors. Having failed to lead 
him along, they had attempted to carry him bod- 
ily. But in his struggles to free himself, his head 
had struck the ground, and some in the crowd 
thought he was being too roughly handled, and 
were expressing their indignation. 

As Mr. Stowe was seen descending the street, 
a little " rough," excited to the highest pitch, cried 
out, " Halloo, there ! You better look out how 



AND BETHEL WORK. 57 

you abuse that man. Here comes 'The Home 
for the Fallen ! ' " 

Mr. Stowe drew near, and saw the difficulties 
on both sides ; and, drawing himself up in his 
own stately way, he said, " If you will let go of 
the man, friends, I will get him up to the station- 
house for you." 

"But he'll fight if his hands are loose," "He'll 
run if they let go," &c., were the exclamations 
that came from the crowd. 

" I'll promise you to get him away quietly if 
you'll only let go of him. I know I can manage 
him," said Mr. Stowe, laying his hand on the 
broad shoulder of the infuriated man. 

The men yielded to these kind and respectful 
entreaties, and Mr. Stowe, taking the arm of their 
prisoner, now as quiet as if he had been charmed 
by the eye of his deliverer, turned and walked up 
Richmond Street, and through Hanover, to the 
police-station, talking kindly to him all the way ; 
and then he gave him up, to answer for his 
offence, whatever it was. 

If a gentleman had called Mr. Stowe a prince 
among men, he would not have been so gratified 
as he was when that poor little North Street 



58 PHINEAS ST OWE 

"rough " called him "The Home for the Fallen," 
and claimed tender treatment for a bad man, out 
of regard for him and his work. It truly rejoiced 
his noble heart to know that, in that sinful and 
almost mercy-forsaken neighborhood, he was 
known and recognized as the friend and helper 
df those who had no other friend and helper. 

The work that was nobody's else he regarded 
as his ; and he took it up as joyfully as if it was 
the greatest gift from Heaven. Labor and sacri- 
fice were no cross to him. 

Mr. Stowe's efforts for the erring were not 
confined to the miserably low among the fallen. 
If he heard of any young man who was going 
astray, or in danger of doing so, he sought him 
out, and laid that magic hand of his upon him in 
the store, the office, or the home of taste and re- 
finement ; and there are many who have hidden 
in their hearts the secret of a son's ill-doing, 
which through his gentle efforts was stopped, 
and kept from the censorious eye of the world 
which tempts secretly, but condemns openly. 

The last day alone will reveal the number of 
wanderers he brought back to God, the desolate 
hearts and homes that he filled with joy and 



AND BETHEL WORK. 59 



thanksgiving. Who is fighting the battles in 
which he fell in the full noonday of a glorious 
life? J. D. C. 

For Phineas Stowe's Sake. 

No man's work dies with him. The husband- 
man breaks up the ground, sows his seed, waters 
and nurtures the young blade, stores the ripened 
corn, and gathers it into his garner. Then, per- 
chance, his arm grows weak, the implements of 
toil fall from his hand, and he lies down in the 
grave. 

But the ground he tilled is not dead. It lies 
in waiting for the seed which shall yield another 
harvest. The seed is not dead, but is living, 
bright with the hopes of a thousand harvests, 
through which each tiny golden grain in its turn 
shall bring forth fruit a hundred fold to nourish 
those who shall stand where we now do in the 
ages to come. There is really no death and no 
cessation of work. 

Thus is it with the work of God's servants, the 
faithful ones who sow beside all waters, casting 
the seed in the morning, and in the evening with- 



60 PHINEAS ST OWE 

holding not their hand. Their works do follow 
them, growing brighter and richer with each 
succeeding harvest and exceeding weight of glory- 
in the land where there is no more toil, but 
where service is praise and activity unending 
rest. 

Thus has it been, and thus shall it still be with 
the works of him whose life is delineated in 
these pages. Every act of love, every word of 
pity, every tear of sympathy is going on yielding 
harvests over and over again. Phineas Stowe, 
though dead, yet acts and speaks among us, im- 
pelling the wavering to a better life, and re- 
proving the fallen and encouraging them to rise 
again. 

Some months ago, when the women of the 
North End Mission Industrial School were 
gathering for their afternoon session, a stranger 
came in and took her seat among them. She 
was well dressed and neat, and so quite unlike 
many of those around her. She asked for no 
garment to make, and for no charity, but sat 
quietly, with folded hands, till near the close of 
the school. Then the lady in charge laid a large 
blank book, with pen and ink, on the table, and 



AND BETHEL WORK. 6 1 

urged all the women who had not done so to 
come forward and sign the temperance pledge. 

One after another came up — the pale, worn- 
looking wife of a drunkard to set her seal against 
the sin that had broken her heart ; the woman 
whose face bore evidence of daily tippling, and 
young girls, the wrecks of womanly virtue, with 
red eyes and trembling hand, grasping at this 
last hope of regaining their lost womanhood. 
A long, sad line they formed before the desk, and 
presented a sight which touched the hearts of 
their helpers, and which would have broken the 
hearts of the mothers that bore them, had they 
been there. Ah, more than this, it moved the 
pity of Him who said to a representative of their 
class, " Go and sin no more." " Is there not one 
more who wants the help of God through this 
pledge ? " asked the lady with the book. 

At these words the woman we have described 
came forward and took her place at the end of 
the line, her bright comfortable shawl and her 
clean finery contrasting strangely with the pover- 
ty and uncleanliness of her bonnetless and un- 
kempt neighbor. 

The solemn pledge was read, and a prayer 



62 PHINEAS STOIVR 

offered, in which the help of the Almighty was 
craved to strengthen the good resolutions of 
those who were striving to break this fetter 
of Satan. 

When the pen was offered to the stranger in the 
bright shawl, her hand trembled ; she hesitated 
a moment, and then burst into tears and wept 
bitterly. 

When questioned as to her trouble, she replied, 
between her sobs, " O, I have broken my pledge." 
She was told that the best thing she could do 
would be to renew it before God, and to ask his 
aid in keeping it. 

Then she replied, " O, ma'am, but I can never 
sign it again for the friend that urged me to do 
it before ! I signed this pledge for Mr. Phineas 
Stowe, and I tried very hard to keep it, and I did 
so for five long years, against great temptation ; 
but now I've broken it, and he is not here to help 
me up again ! " 

She was urged to sign the pledge and make 
one more effort. She took the pen between her 
trembling fingers, and after she had written her 
name, she said with a sigh, " But Mr. Stowe is 
not here to know it, ma'am." 



AND BETHEL WORK. 63 

"We cannot tell," said her friend, "but Mr. 
Stowe knows and rejoices in this your new effort 
for a better life. If he were here he would take 
you by the hand and beg you to carry on the 
warfare still against this terrible enemy of your 
soul. He helped you and he prayed for you 
before he went away ; and that help and those 
prayers are still strong in your behalf." 

She went away promising to make one more 
effort to save herself, both for her own soul's sake 
and for the love and gratitude she bore to that 
blessed man of God who had striven, while living, 
to save her from the drunkard's doom. She may 
fall, but she will rise again ; for she can never 
settle down carelessly in sin, feeling, as she does, 
his eye upon her, his words in her ear. This 
good man's work will " follow him ; " and many 
souls of the erring, even though they may make 
crooked paths here, will'- at last be given to him 
in the harvest of his earthly work. 

And who of us that are still at work would 
not so labor that when voice and hand are still, 
those we are trying to save may shun sin for our 
sakes as well as for their own and for the glory 
of God ? J. D. C. 



64 PHINEAS ST OWE 



No Stowe ! No Bethel ! 

Mr. Stowe was remarkably fond of children, 
and, as the result, all the children he knew were 
very fond of him. At one time a family in the 
congregation began taking their little boy — 
scarcely more than a baby — to church, greatly 
to his delight. He knew Mr. Stowe, and his face 
in the pulpit was a fresh joy to him every Sunday. 

One morning, after seating himself in the pew 
beside his mother, this little one looked up and 
caught sight of a stranger in Mr. Stowe's place. 
He at once sprang down from his seat, and began 
pulling his mother's dress, as if to get her out of 
the pew. " See, see, mamma ! No Stowe ! No 
Bethel ! Come, come, let's go home." 

To his innocent imagination the pastor was 
the same as the Bethel ; and he could not believe 
that one of them could exist without the other. 

Many, older and wiser than this little child, said 
the same when they could see his face no more. 
They looked on him as the embodiment of the 
work for sailors in our denomination, and when 
he was called to his rest, they had sad forebod- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 65 

ings for the future prosperity of the enterprise. 
They said in their heart, " No Stowe, no Bethel ; 
he has fallen, and there is none to fill his place." . 
But the cause was God's ; and when he released 
that honored and beloved servant from his toil, 
he raised up another to buckle on the harness 
there. God's cause is dearer to him than it can 
be to us ; and it is always safe to trust him, when 
there are vacancies to fill in any field. 

J. D. C. 



Jewel-tipped Irons. 

Mr. Stowe was naturally ardent and impulsive, 
and when he became a Christian and a watcher 
for souls, this warm temperament was quickened 
into a deep and burning passion. He saw so 
much to be done, and so few real workers, that 
he strove to throw himself into every gap, and to 
make up everybody's deficiencies. He forgot, in 
his holy zeal, that he had but one heart, one pair 
of hands, and one life ; and so he undertook to 
do what would have required the strength of a 
score of men, with ample means. The Bethel, 
5 



66 PHINEAS ST OWE 

the Exchange, the Sailor's Home, the Home for 
the Fallen, " The Station-House Plan," and many- 
more " plans," filled his heart and hands ; and, 
besides, his preaching, his writing, and his visit- 
ing, at times almost bewildered and overwhelmed 
him. 

On one occasion, when he had been descanting 
on some of his benevolent plans, a cool-headed 
brother asked, " Haven't you got too many irons 
in the fire, Brother Stowe ? Won't some of them 
get burned ? " 

" O, no, no," cried Mr. Stowe, enthusiastically ; 
"my irons are all jewel-tipped. The fire can't 
harm them." 

And so it was. His plans were conceived in 
love, and carried on in faith. Many of them 
were perfected, and are now an honor to the city 
and to humanity ; while those which seemed to 
die only did so as the seed dies, to give new and 
richer life to that which is to spring from it. 
There is little doubt but his spirit, his zeal, and 
his prayers laid the foundation of some noble 
efforts now being made in the neighborhood 
where he wrought. Who knows but he, while 
enjoying to the full the rest he never knew on 



AND BETHEL WORK. 



6/ 



earth, may be made glad beyond many of the 
ransomed, by seeing his work following him ? 

Well would it be for the world if the plans of 
all God's children were thus "jewel-tipped," and 
charmed from the blight of the flame that sur- 
rounds them. 

J. D. C. 






CHAPTER VI. 
Personal Reminiscences. 

BY REV. E. P. THWING. 

ROTHER STOWE began his Bethel 
work as I entered the High School 
in Boston. My first sermon in a 
church, I preached to his congregation, nearly 
twenty years ago, from the text, 'And yet there 
is room.' His welcome to the young collegian 
from Cambridge was most hearty. 

" We were both passionately fond of music. 
We stood together one day, during the war, on a 
vessel's deck in Boston harbor, and well do I 
remember how his tears fell, while a lad sang, 
with touching sweetness, 'Just before the battle, 
mother.' Brother Stowe's deepest sympathies fol- 
lowed the boys in blue to the field, and he was 
among the first to welcome and provide for them 
on their return. On July 4, 1868, at the Dis- 
charged Soldiers' Home, I saw how gratefully he 

68 



AND BETHEL WORK. 69 

was greeted by them, for he had been both a fa- 
ther and a brother to each. I recall with what 
heartiness he enjoyed the festive gatherings at 
the 'Mariner's Exchange, when the men of the 
sea and their generous 'patrons met around the 
loaded board, and the energy with which he 
pushed forward that noble enterprise, the Faneuil 
Hall Bazaar. 

" But in the prayer meeting and in the pulpit 
he made the most abiding impression on me. 
Jesus was the burden of prayer, of sermon, and 
of song. One of his best poems he penned 
when his loved associate, my honored father, died, 
thirty-one years missionary at the North End. 
As a fitting testimony to Brother Stowe's finished 
work, I transcribe this, his own tender elegy, and 
reverently lay it, as a garland of amaranth, on his 
grave. 

'The Master hath called the brave soldier to rest, 
From the heat of the battle, the conflict now past : 
He boldly hath fought, with bright banner in hand; 
In the field he was faithful, long leading his band. 

'The downcast will miss his warm accents of love; 
He taught them to feed on the bread from above; 
He soothed their sad hearts by imparting relief, 
And speaking of Jesus, the Calmer of grief. 



70 PHINEAS STOWE 

'The leaves of Life's Tree, which he scattered, still heal; 
They make to the lost and the blind an appeal 
To come to the Cross, and receive there, by faith, 
The Lamb that, once slain, can now save them from death. 

' The fruits of his toils are not all gathered home 
To the heaven above, whence the ransomed ne'er roam : 
But the reaper shall gather the harvest ere long, 
Where now he is chanting Redemption's glad song. 

1 Rest, soldier, now rest; life's battles are o'er; 
The victor's blest meed, and the bright, shining shore, 
Are thine, as the ages of glory shall roll; 
Thy grand theme is Jesus, who ransomed thy soul.'" 

" A carriage stopped one evening at that well- 
known ' No. 8.' The driver informed the pastor 
that he had with him an intoxicated seaman, who 
had been refused admission at one Sailor's Home 
on the ground of intoxication. Mr. Stowe bade 
him welcome, and, with the assistance of the 
hackman, brought him into the sitting-room, 
where he lay on the sofa during the evening, 
in stupid unconsciousness, Mrs. Stowe a lonely 
watcher, while her husband was at meeting. 

" The next day the man told his story. He 
knew his benefactor, though unknown by the 
pastor. He was well dressed, and had eleven 
hundred dollars on his person. He was from 



AND BETHEL WORK. Ji 

New Hampshire, and had served on a man-of- 
war, in a good position, but had fallen a victim to 
1 the Circean cup.' He remained several weeks 
at Baldwin Place, became a sober man, served in 
the navy during the war, and now lives to bless 
the memory of him who, like the good Samaritan, 
remembered the outcast that others had spurned. 
" Sitting, one day, conversing with his wife, Mr. 
Stowe was called to the door by an earnest pull 
at the bell. A pale-faced young man entered, 
exclaiming, with unaffected urgency, ' I've come 
to see if you can save me.' His story was brief 
and sad — the old story of the cup, and of inher- 
ited passion for drink. He had been a clerk for 
a Boston publisher, and, when sober, gave satis- 
faction, but again and again had been intox- 
icated, and now was discharged by his employer, 
whose patience was wholly exhausted. Taking 
him to the store, Mr. Stowe pleaded for one more 
trial, pledging to take the young man into his 
own family, under his own eye. He remained 
there for months, became sober, afterwards mar- 
ried, and devoted himself to dramatic art, in 
which he was a wonderful adept. But for the 
timely intervention of a friendly hand, he might 



72 PHINEAS ST OWE 

have soon found a felon's cell or a drunkard's 
grave. 

" Late one winter's night, returning from meet- 
ing, Mr. Stowe discovered by the dim gas-light 
a man lying in the street. At first he knew not 
whether this was a victim of violence, of sudden 
disease, or of some accident. Bending over the 
man, he found that he was helplessly drunk. He 
tried to raise him, but the freezing creature had 
no power to help himself. Mr. Stowe saw that 
something must be immediately done. He took 
off his outer garment, spread it over the poor 
man, hailed a belated newsboy, bought his papers, 
and paid him besides to stand guard five minutes, 
till help could be summoned from the station- 
house. He soon returned with two officers. 
They lifted, and shook, and finally roused the 
man from his drunken swoon, so that he compre- 
hended something of the nature of the situation. 
As they tried to drag along his stiffened body, he 
resisted. ' I'll go to Father Stowe's,' he at length 
exclaimed, ' but I won't go with you.' The Bethel 
pastor, putting his face close to that of the unfor- 
tunate sot, said, ' Don't you know my voice ? ' It 
was at once recognized, and the struggling man 



AND BETHEL WORK. 73 

ceased resistance, and was taken to that home 
whose doors ever stood open to the sailor, no 
matter how wretched, poor, or wicked. There a 
comfortable bed was given him, with a soft pillow, 
instead of the icy curb-stone, to rest his -aching 
head upon. The next morning he was led to his 
vessel, and sailed on the voyage for which he had 
been engaged, rejoicing in the kindness that 
saved his life and sent him on his way in peace." 



We quote this striking incident from the At- 
lantic Monthly. There can be little doubt as to 
who the " Boston clergyman " here referred to 
was. At least, all who were acquainted with the 
devoted pastor of the Bethel through twenty 
years will identify him at once. 

" The lamps came, and we advanced some two 
hundred feet farther, between those astonishing 
walls of coal, to the end of the spacious gallery. 
We were by this time well prepared to appreciate 
the pious enthusiasm of a weli-known Boston 
clergyman (since deceased, widely lamented), who 
paid a visit to these mines last summer. When 



74 PHINEAS STOWE 

he found himself in the heart of the mountain, 
surrounded by this immense body of coal, which 
he was told extended for miles on every side, he 
looked about him for some moments in speechless 
awe and wonder, then reverently took off his hat ; 
theology bowed before geology ; and he called 
out to the miners, in a sudden, loud voice, that 
echoed portentously through the long, dim-lighted 
cavern, ' Praise the Lord. Get down on your 
knees, every one of you, and praise the Lord for 
his wonderful providence.' This summons, he 
delivered with such prophetical power of lungs 
and spirit, that all the miners except one threw 
down their tools, and knelt with him on the spot. 

" * I thought first I wouldn't kneel,' said the ex- 
ception ; *■ I never had knelt for any man, and I 
didn't believe I ever should. But he began to 
pray ; and I tell you if my knees didn't begin to 
give way under me ; he put in, and my legs 
crooked and crooked, till I couldn't stand it no 
longer. By George, he prayed me down.' 

"I thought the power of the preacher must 
have been somewhat to bring such rude men to 
their knees. Not uninteresting to contemplate is 
the picture of the little group, bowed in worship 



AND BETHEL WORK. 75 

there in the hollow mine, lighted only by the 
small lamps hooked on to the miners' caps, and 
by the serene eye of day looking in smilingly at 
the end of the cavern." 



A few years before his death, Mr. Stowe wel- 
comed to the fellowship of the Bethel Church a 
young man, once a sailor, who is now a member 
of the Newton Theological Institution. The fol- 
lowing is his account of his last interview with 
the pastor whom he loved so well, and who was 
instrumental in his decision to enter the gospel 
ministry: — 

" That Mr. Stowe was a man of large sympa- 
thies there is abundant proof. I shall never for- 
get an interview I had with him. It was in 
August, 1868. God had come and told me I 
must preach, and I was on the eve of going to 
my studies. I called to see my pastor, and to 
say good by. 

" I found him in his study, and alone. Never, 
while memory lasts, shall I forget those parting 
words. It was Christian counsel and holy admo- 



76 PHINEAS STOWE 

nition that he gave me. Big tears were in his 
eyes. I could see them rolling down his cheeks. 
When the time arrived for me to go, he put a 
letter into my hand, and his arms about my neck, 
and kissed me. He took my hand, pressed it in 
his, and we parted. I never saw him after that 
with the natural eye ; but, as I write, I see that 
holy countenance again, and those tears of ten- 
derness. I hear those words of admonition, and 
feel those arms about my neck, and that kiss of 
love upon my cheek. 

*• Up and down this broad earth of ours, in 
dingy streets and darkened cells, upon the path- 
way of the nations, and in foreign climes, there 
are those who have felt the influence of this holy- 
life. Men touched him, and were made better by 
the contact. His love was like the ocean ; his 
sympathies took in the world." 





9mM8Rto& 



CHAPTER VII. 
The Washingtonian Home. 




BY JOSEPH STORY. 

HE Monday evening temperance meet- 
ing at the Bethel ever had a strong 
hold on the sympathies of Brother 
Stovve. It embodied a department of labor in- 
separably connected with the mission of the 
church. He saw how great were the temptations, 
set as snares in every path of the sailor, to lure 
him on to ruin ; and he had burned into his very 
soul a true perception of the enormity of the 
wrong involved in the traffic in intoxicating 
liquors, and of the wickedness and ruin entailed 
on those addicted to the use of them. With 
fearless devotion, he cast himself between the 
destroyer and his victims, boldly and lovingly 
laboring to save whomsoever he could. The 
same enthusiasm which made him successful in 
77 



yS PHINEAS ST OWE 

other efforts gave success in this. His speech, 
his songs, and his prayers were made a blessing 
to many families, not only in connection with 
the Bethel work, but elsewhere, as opportunity 
offered. 

Often, at these Monday evening meetings, 
would be present men who had long been slaves 
to the terrible appetite, who, under the inspira- 
tion of the occasion, would manifest a desire to 
reform and take the pledge of total abstinence. 
Thousands of witnesses to the peculiar and im- 
pressive manner in which the pledge was admin- 
istered will remember the kind words spoken by 
the Bethel pastor, as he presented to each signer 
a copy of the Testament, and the earnest prayer 
which followed, asking God to bless and strengthen 
the weak, when the tempter assailed them. Fre- 
quently there would be present those who were 
so far reduced as to be homeless and friendless, 
and for whom there seemed no other refuge than 
the station-house. At one of the meetings, in 
the summer of 1857, a poor, intemperate man 
came in, homeless and wretched ; but what to do 
with him they hardly knew. While making 
some remarks on the subject of taking proper 



AND BETHEL WORK. 79 

care of such cases, Mr. Stowe, raising his hands, 
exclaimed, "Who will give five dollars towards 
starting a home for the drunkard ? " 

Mr. Daniel Allen, who had long taken an in- 
terest in the meetings, responded, " I will." 

" There," said Mr. Stowe, " the keel is laid. 
Farmer Allen gives five dollars." 

A number of smaller subscriptions followed, 
and all interested were invited to remain, at the 
close of the meeting, and adopt some plan for 
carrying out the suggestion. A committee was 
chosen to act with Mr. Stowe, and Mr. Allen was 
made treasurer. The next day they began look- 
ing for a room, and during the week secured one, 
located over a currier's shop, at the corner of 
Fulton and Richmond Streets ; and afterwards 
obtained donations of bedsteads, chairs, stove, 
crockery, and other needed articles ; Mr. Stowe 
himself going about, with a horse and wagon, 
from place to place, gathering them up, and thus, 
in this humble way, laying the foundation of 
what was known as " The Home for the Fallen," 
and subsequently as "The Washingtonian Home." 
For want of money to obtain supplies for the 
table, he and others of the committee in turn 



So PHINEAS STOWE 

daily visited the markets and stores, with a bas- 
ket on their arm, soliciting provisions and gro- 
ceries of such friends as had a heart to contribute 
to this object. 

The room was opened to the public, and meet- 
ings held, where addresses were made by reformed 
men and others, and in prayer and song this en- 
terprise was gratefully dedicated to God and hu- 
manity ; and at once the power of love, encour- 
agement, and judicious medical treatment proved 
effectual in inducing and helping men to reform. 
To its success Mr. Stowe gave the warmest sym- 
pathies of his noble and generous heart. No 
man, however degraded, was outside the pale of 
his endeavor, and into this humble home he gave 
the sailor and the landsman alike a cordial wel- 
come. A band of Christian men rallied to its 
support, and very soon its own fruits proved the 
best possible indorsement of the need and efficacy 
of such an institution. The first to experience 
the benefit of this work of love was a man who 
for years had been separated from his family 
living in the British Provinces, and was dragging 
out a miserable existence, with every hope 
blasted and every faculty degraded. An extract 



AND BETHEL WORK. 8 1 

from a letter written to a friend, two years after- 
wards, tells his experience in his own words. 

" Two years ago I was a slave to that terrible 
appetite for strong drink. I found myself house- 
less, homeless, friendless. Looking back, I can 
trace my fall. Glass by glass, day by day, the 
poison sank deeper, until I awoke from a mad, 
wild dream, and found myself a slave. But, 
thanks to God, I have burst the bonds, and am 
free. How vividly that evening, that blessed 
Sabbath evening, on which I signed the pledge, 
is present with me now ! After a day of untold 
agony, both of mind and body, I found myself in 
Fulton Street, in this city. Overcome by painful 
and bitter memories, I sank exhausted on the 
pavement. As I recovered my senses somewhat, 
I heard the strains of an old tune my mother 
often sang to me in the sunny hours of child- 
hood. O, that dear old tune, ' Sicily,' — I never 
hear it but my eye moistens and my heart throbs 
more rapidly ; for it reminds me of my mother, 
and my redemption from the inebriate's glass. 
Lured by the sweet, familiar sounds, I crossed 
the street, ascended a flight of steps, entered the 
room where they were singing the old tune, and 
6 



82 PHINEAS STOWE 

found myself in ' The Home for the Fallen.' I 
was saved. God bless the Home. I am not 
homeless nor friendless now. Despair no longer 
flings her dark shadow on my path. No ; the old 
dreams, hopes, and resolves, the daring thoughts, 
the lofty ambition, are knocking for admission at 
my heart again. When I entered the Home, I 
had been separated for nine years from a wife I 
loved. Yes, I loved her. But one cause sep- 
arated us — the red river of intemperance rolled 
between us ; and my child, too, I had never 
looked upon, though he was nearly nine years 
old. But they have come back again. There is 
another altar in good old Massachusetts, from 
which ascend prayer and praise to God the 
Father for the good cause, and for the men and 
women through whose blessed instrumentality 
the husband and father has been restored." 

Not long after his reform he wrote the follow- 
ing lines, which I happen to have by me, ad- 
dressed to his absent wife : — 



To Mary 



"I think of thee when the sun's first ray 
Is purpling the eastern sky, 
And the birds' sweet song fills the morning gay 
With their gushing minstrelsy; 



AND BETHEL WORK. 83 

When the bursting flowers their leaves unfold, 

Blushing deep at the day-god's kiss, 
As he cometh forth, in his robes of gold, 

Our earth to cheer and bless. 

"I think of thee at my daily toil, 

Making labor's burden light — 
I see thee again, with thy radiant smile, 

Thine eyes with affection bright; — 
I'm away in the past, with my bounding youth, 

'Mid scenes of my early home, 
When thou wert my angel of love and truth — 

Then my heart whispers, Come, love, come. 

"I'm thinking of thee when the dark-browed night 

Hath curtained the dreaming world, 
And heaven from its lofty azure height 

Its banner of stars has unfurled, 
And moonbeams are trembling on valley and plain, 

And west winds sigh tenderly : 
I long, my beloved, to greet thee again — 

Then, dearest, I think of thee." 

When, as a drunkard, this man was staggering 
through the streets at the North End, how little 
they who saw him knew of the heart and mind 
that were hidden beneath that degradation ! As 
he lay on the sidewalk helpless, how little the 
passers by could have thought he would be a 
man again, clothed and in his right mind, to stand 
before large and attentive audiences, in beautiful 
public halls, eloquently pleading the cause of 



84 PHINEAS ST OWE 

those who, like himself, had been swept into the 
vortex of dissipation, and by his voice and in- 
fluence lead many to reform ! It was for the 
rescue of such as he, that an angel from heaven 
prompted Mr. Stowe, in that Bethel meeting, to 
ask, " Who will give towards starting a Home for 
the drunkard ?" The leading features adopted, of 
inspiring hope and confidence by sympathy and 
love, have, been carried out through all the sub- 
sequent history of the institution, and the weekly 
meetings for the relation of personal experiences, 
by the inmates, have ever proved very beneficial 
and salutary. About two months after the open- 
ing of this room, a public meeting was convened 
in Faneuil Hall, on November 5, 1858, when the 
Home for the Fallen was duly organized by the 
choice of the following officers : Joseph Story, 
President. Julius A. Palmer, Phineas Stowe, and 
Moses Mellen, Vice-Presidents. Albert Day, 
Kimball Esterbrook, John H. Beal, Josiah M. 
Read, and Daniel Allen, Executive Committee. 
Daniel Allen, Treasurer. J. H. Beal, Secretary. 
Joseph Story, William Adams, Jr., and twenty- 
eight other gentlemen, as a Board of Directors. 
On the 1st of February, 1858, the Home 



AND BETHEL WORK. 85 

was removed to No. 1 Franklin Place, where 
its usefulness and success were greatly increased 
under the superintendence of Mr. Albert Day, 
who devoted himself for many years with un- 
tiring zeal to all its interests, greatly beloved 
by those to whom he ministered. On the 5th 
of September, 1858, it was removed to No. 36 
Charles Street, and while there it was incor- 
porated as " The Washingtonian Home," March 
:8, 1859. On the 12th of July, 1861, it was re- 
moved to 1009 Washington Street, and has now 
just been removed to Waltham Street, where a 
new and spacious building has been erected at an 
expense of about one hundred thousand dollars, 
which is the property of the corporation. The 
architect, himself a graduate from the institution, 
has been very successful in arranging the whole 
structure with every convenience needed, and 
with a chapel finely adapted for all their meetings ; 
and it is now under the superintendence of one, 
also a graduate, who, by his own long and bitter 
experience in the past, knows how to sympathize 
with those coming to that Pool of Bethesda to 
be healed. 

The history of this Home is crowned with 



86 PHINEAS ST OWE 

blessing. Dedicated in prayer to God at the out- 
set for a noble work, it has constantly enlarged 
its sphere of usefulness, and ever found friends to 
sustain it. Changes have taken place in its of- 
ficers and managers, yet all have devoted them- 
selves to its noble mission with unselfish aim. 
Thousands of hearts have been blessed through 
its influence ; thousands of men, once wrecks on 
the fearful surges of intemperance, have been re- 
claimed ; thousands of homes made worse than 
desolate have been filled with gladness and pros- 
perity ; and the very angels must have made 
heaven vocal with joy over the returning prodi- 
gals, and over the re-erected family altars of 
prayer ; and through these years of blessed his- 
tory, as celestial fingers swept their golden harps, 
celestial voices must have blended in a chorus of 
praise over the " dead that were alive again, and 
the lost that were found." As we remember all 
its past experiences ; as we know the place of its 
birth, and the deep love of the heart, now silent, 
going out over the land and the sea to all mankind ; 
as we recall his devotion to the work of relieving 
the distressed, and winning the sinful back to 
virtue and to God ; as we remember his prayers 



AND BETHEL WORK. Z"J 

and his early labors for this work of saving the 
intemperate, — we but pay to him a just meed of 
praise when we declare that to our dear brother, 
Rev. Phineas Stowe, under God, belong the 
origin and establishment of " The Home for the 
Fallen " and " The Washingtonian Home." 



Albert Day, M. D., former Superintendent of 
the Washingtonian Home, and colaborer with 
Brother Stowe, writes, — 

" The most prominent trait in the character 
of Rev. Phineas Stowe was unselfishness. His 
whole heart and soul were interested for others ; 
and with him this was not a spasmodic feeling. 
When other hearts were cold, his was warm ; 
when others were asleep, he was awake ; in fact, 
he devoted all his time, all his energies, to raising 
the fallen, feeding the hungry, strengthening the 
weak. Like his Divine Master, whom he faith- 
fully served, he 'went about doing good.' He 
not only gave the ' cup of cold water' in the Mas- 
ter's name, but if necessary he gave a feast to the 
hungry. 

" For nearly twenty years I knew this wonder- 



88 PHINEAS ST OWE 

ful man, and long before he died I was satisfied the 
spirit so active — finding no rest, constantly grow- 
ing in zeal, with labor increasing in the same ratio 
— could not long inhabit that earthly tenement. 
I often think such men (and they are rare) grow 
up into heaven, and when the body falls back to 
earth, they themselves are conscious of little 
change, for the soul has already reached its full- 
ness, and will more rapidly approximate the cen- 
tre of divine perfection. 

" Numerous are the incidents which have come 
under my observation which will illustrate the 
wonderful characteristics I have mentioned, more 
particularly as relate to his efforts to save the 
inebriate. I have in company with him visited 
the abodes of wretchedness and misery, when all 
around us was hushed in the stillness of midnight 
save the halls of the debauchee and the orgies 
of bacchanalian revelry, for the purpose of secur- 
ing, if possible, the reformation of some poor 
drunkard ; and how often these efforts were suc- 
cessful the world at large can never know. I now 
see, almost every day, men walking our streets, 
clothed and in their right minds, who were then, 
as it were, drawn from the fires of hell. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 89 

" Mr. Stowe was purely catholic in his phi- 
lanthropy ; no sect, race, or color was outside the 
circle of this good man's sympathy. His great 
heart embraced the whole brotherhood of man ; 
even the stranger, upon whom his eyes never 
before rested, was a dear brother to him. If his 
dead body was found in the street, a stranger un- 
recognized by any one, Phineas Stowe was his 
friend — often his only mourner. By him his 
body found a resting-place. Well do I remember 
his saying, on funeral occasions of this kind, 
'Well, there is somebody who loves him some- 
where.' How touching would be his remarks 
when speaking of the death of the stranger ! 

" That Mr. Stowe was often imposed upon, no 
one can deny ; the very nature of his chosen work 
and his broad philanthropy would of course imply 
this. I think, generally, our philanthropy is stunt- 
ed by fear of the impostor. While we should use 
all caution in regard to the unworthy, yet we 
should not allow our hearts to become cold to- 
wards the worthy poor. The heart of our friend 
never was palsied because of impostors. He 
knew there was sorrow in the world, and this 
knowledge impelled to action. 



90 PHINEAS ST OWE 

" How much better the world is to-day because 
Phineas Stowe lived in it, eternity alone can re- 
veal. When the sea gives up its dead, and earth's 
dwellers are summoned to judgment, — when it 
is known how many sighs were hushed, how 
many tears dried up, and how many barbed ar- 
rows of sorrow plucked from bleeding hearts 
within the circle of his influence, — then shall we 
know the vast amount of human suffering this 
great, good man has relieved." 




CHAPTER VIII. 

Midnight Meetings, Bazaar, and Discharged 
Soldiers' Home. 




R. STOWE was wise to win souls. He 
never planted himself on his ministe- 
rial dignity, waiting for the erring and 
the needy to come to him, craving his help. 
Wherever there were men in sin or in want, 
there he was found. No place was too mean, no 
hour too untimely for him. Having noticed the 
scores of wretched creatures who roved the 
streets while the virtuous were sleeping, he re- 
solved to catch them in the net they were spread- 
ing for others, and instituted for this purpose his 
" midnight meetings." The following circular 
was widely scattered at the North End : — 

"Midnight Meetings in Boston. 
"The Midnight Meetings were originated for the pur- 
pose of assembling Fallen Women, that the invitations of 
the gospel might be placed before them with aifectionate 
sympathy, and an opportunity afforded them of forsaking 
their sins, and leading a new life. 

91 



92 PHINEAS ST OWE 

"The Midnight hour is found to be the most suitable 
for these services. 

"Listen to the Midnight Cry. There is a meeting in 
the Chapel of the Quincy Home for the Friendless, corner 
of Lewis, Fulton, and North Streets, every Wednesday 
Night, at \oh. o'clock. 

"You are cordially invited to attend, by your friend, 
"Phineas Stowe, Seaman's Chaplain. 

"March 8, 1865. 

"P. S. Commence the Spring with a resolve to begin 
a new life. Jesus is ready to forgive the penitent. Let 
the voice of loved ones induce you to come to Jesus just 
now; death is on your path." 

The fervor with which these meetings were 
conducted, and the untiring zeal and self-devotion 
with which this friend of sinners threw himself 
into the work, touched the hearts of others of 
like spirit, and they gathered around him with 
their sympathy and their aid. Among these, 
two noble Christian women, of the Society of 
Friends, — Rebecca Collins and Elizabeth Corn- 
stock, — shared in the honor of this work for 
Christ, and they greatly aided and encouraged 
Mr. Stowe, besides doing much for the poor 
fallen ones who listened to their loving words. 

The result of these meetings will be known 
only when the final rewards are given to those 
who labor for Christ and for dying men. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 93 



The National Bazaar Association. 

This was one of Mr. Stowe's plans for raising 
money to keep hot some of the "jewel-tipped 
irons " he had in the fire. Goods of every de- 
scription were received at Faneuil Hall on com- 
mission, forming what he called " A Miniature 
World of Trade," the profits of their sale going 
to the Mariner's Exchange, Qilincy Home for 
the Friendless, and for the temporary relief of 
soldiers and sailors. 

Connected with the Bazaar was a daily paper, 
edited by Henrico Caulis ; and we risk nothing 
in saying that it is superior to most of the sheets 
put out by such enterprises. We see, from look- 
ing over the file, that on a certain evening a 
couple desiring to be married, but feeling that 
they could not be married just right by anybody 
but Mr. Stowe, sought him at the Bazaar. The 
ceremony was performed in the office of the su- 
perintendent, and the fee found its way into the 
funds of the Bazaar. 

But, much as Mr. Stowe needed money, such 
was the delicacy of his conscience, and such his 



94 PHINEAS STOWE 

stern sense of right, that he would never do evil 
that good might come. He washed his hands of 
gambling in the Bazaar, — as will be seen in the 
following extract from the circular, — from its 
tiniest seed, the " grab-bag," to its flowers and its 
deadly fruits. 

" Connected with the National Bazaar there will 
be no grab-boxes, lotteries, or raffles. If we can- 
not obtain funds without resorting to them, we 
shall cheerfully submit to failure. We think the 
community generally regard them as an inductive 
process of sailing to a wrecking lee shore. In 
the absence of exciting and corrupting chance 
games, the Bazaar will more than supply the 
place, in that eloquent and impressive hall, with 
sublime thoughts, and inspiring martial and vocal 
music, which will entertain and delight the vis- 
itors, both old and young." 



The following letter from Hon. E. S. Tobey, 
President of the Soldier's Home, shows Mr. 
Stowe's devotion to those brave men who, in our 
late war, were willing to give their lives for the 
life of the nation : — 



AND BETHEL WORK. 95 

"Boston, December 21, 1873. 

" Rev. H. A. Cooke. 

" Dear Sir : Understanding that you are to pub- 
lish a memorial of the late Rev. Phineas Stowe, it 
gives me pleasure to embrace the opportunity to 
give a brief sketch of his connection with the Dis- 
charged Soldiers' Home. I believe that I do 
injustice to no one in stating that Mr. Stowe 
may be regarded as the founder of that noble 
institution. While it required and received, at 
the very outset, the joint efforts and co-operation 
of many philanthropic gentlemen and ladies to 
carry into effect his original purpose, I am quite 
confident that the idea originated in his mind, 
and that he made the first public movements to 
secure organized effort to establish the Home. I 
cannot soon forget the characteristic ardor and 
enthusiasm with which he accosted me in the 
street, his heart overflowing with sympathy, as he 
stated that a large number of sick and wounded 
soldiers had just been landed from a steamer on 
Long Wharf — the first who had arrived after 
the early battle in defence of the Union. 

a The late Daniel Denny had generously 
granted the use of a large warehouse at the 



96 PHINEAS ST OWE 

North End, free of rent, as a temporary Home, 
to which the soldiers had been sent ; and kind- 
hearted ladies had, with their accustomed prompt- 
ness, ministered to their necessities. Mr. Stowe 
hastily notified a meeting to be held in the Meio- 
naon, at which he invited me to be present. 

" He opened it informally, stating concisely, 
but with glowing language, its object. A com- 
mittee was at once appointed to report a plan of 
organization, and the institution was then for- 
mally established under a ' Board of Officers/ 
consisting of both ladies and gentlemen. Subse- 
quently, the use of a commodious building in 
Springfield Street, now known as the Aged Men's 
Home, was granted by the city government, free 
of rent, which accommodated more than one 
hundred soldiers at one time. Here, until some 
years after the war, thousands of disabled soldiers 
found a home, with all the assistance and tender 
care which a volunteer association of ladies and 
gentlemen, aided by their fellow-citizens generally, 
could bestow. 

" To this useful institution Mr. Stowe held the 
important relation of chaplain ; and only those 
who had the privilege of knowing him can fully 



AND BETHEL WORK. 



97 



estimate the value of his sympathy and spiritual 
guidance and consolation to the thousands of its 
inmates. His radiant countenance, ever beaming 
with mingled joy, Christian faith, and sympathy, 
made him not only the welcome visitor by the 
bedside of the dying soldier, but also the cheerful 
companion of all who were associated with him 
in the general administration of the affairs of the 
Home. Long will his memory be cherished in 
the hearts of the friends of the tempest-tossed 
sailor and the sick and wounded soldier, who, 
through his instrumentality, found a home and 
its attendant comforts. 

" I deem it a privilege to bear this imperfect 
tribute to his worth, and to express my apprecia- 
tion and gratitude personally for his untiring de- 
votion to the cause in which he was engaged, and 
to which, perhaps, it is not too much to say he 
sacrificed his life. 
7 




CHAPTER IX. 
The "Globe Hall" Movement. 

ffeACON A. G. STIMSON, then of 
the Baldwin Place, and now of the 
Bowdoin Square Baptist Church, — a 
beloved friend of Mr. Stowe, and an earnest co- 
laborer with him in many works of love, — sends 
the following account of what Mr. Stowe called 
the " Globe Hall " movement : — 

" For many years, the earnest prayers of the 
writer of this sketch had gone up to God, that 
the iniquity and the demoralizing influence of 
Globe Hall, Tammany Hall, and the National 
Theatre, situated near the corner of Merrimac 
and Gouch Streets, might be broken up, and 
those dens of vice be used for other and better 
purposes. 

"In the autumn of 1858, a miserable woman, 
whose associates were all among the class that 

9 8 



AND BETHEL WORK. 99 

visited these haunts of sin, died at the dance 
hall then notorious at the West End as Globe 
Hall. The proprietor, having a spark of human- 
ity yet left in his heart, wished Mr. Stowe to hold 
funeral services over her remains. This the good 
man gladly did, and improved the opportunity, in 
his own faithful and loving way, to impress on 
the minds of the forlorn creatures gathered there 
the importance of a speedy preparation for death, 
assuring them that 

1 While the lamp holds out to burn, 
The vilest sinner may return.' 

" One week from that day, Mr. Stowe called 
upon the proprietor ; but, not finding him in, he 
left word that he would like the use of his ball- 
room, in which to hold a prayer meeting. The 
man was probably not a little surprised at this. 
In a day or two, however, he came and offered 
him the use of the place for a noon prayer meet- 
ing. Before accepting it, Mr. Stowe called at the 
store of Mr. George W. Chipman, who, with the 
writer, was then standing at the desk. He came 
forward, placing a hand on the shoulder of each, 
and said, in his own impulsive way, ' You are just 



100 PHINEAS STOWE 

the brethren I want to see.' He then related 
what had taken place at Globe Hall, and asked 
what we thought he ought to do. We both said, 
without hesitation, ' The Lord is in it. He has 
opened the way. Go forward, and we are with 
you.' 

"From the store we went directly up to the 
meeting of the Board of the Baptist Sabbath 
School Union, a society then in existence, which 
held a weekly meeting in an upper room in Tre- 
mont Temple. Here we presented the matter, 
and the Board heartily indorsed our decision. 
Notices were at once circulated through the north 
and west parts of the city, that ' a prayer meeting 
would be held on the next Sunday evening at 
Globe Hall.' The result was, that the hall was 
filled to its utmost capacity, while many, unable 
to gain entrance, stood outside. At this first 
meeting, God manifested his power in the convic- 
tion of the bar-keeper of Tammany Hall, a 
drinking-place on the opposite side of the street ; 
a miserable man, who, with some of his associates, 
had come in for the express purpose of breaking 
up the meeting. Before its close, Mr. Stowe 
made a most impressive appeal, especially ad- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 01 

dressed to inebriates, urging them to take the 
pledge, and to give their hearts to God. 

" ' Is there not,' he asked, ' some man here who 
has a praying mother, or wife, or sister, whose 
hearts have been rent with anguish on account 
of his vile course, and the ruin that must follow?' 

" The Spirit of God directed these words, as 
an arrow, to the heart of this drunken bar-keeper. 
He came staggering forward, and took the pledge. 
God had long heard, and had now come to answer 
the cries of a praying mother among the far-off 
hills of New Hampshire, and in a few days her 
son was truly converted to Christ. The meetings 
increased in interest from day to day, and the 
proprietor, finding that his evening business 
could not be carried on with such a counter in- 
fluence, offered to turn over his lease to the new 
comers. They took it, and thus gained control 
of the place, and established evening as well as 
noon prayer meetings. 

" Very soon the lease of Tammany Hall was 
secured — a place large enough to seat from three 
to four hundred persons. The gambler's furni- 
ture was removed, the hall was cleared, and 
neatly arranged for meetings, and Mr. Stowe 



102 PHINEAS ST OWE 

preached from the bar where the now joyful Cas- 
well had so lately dealt out death and ruin to his 
associates. The different pastors of the city vol- 
unteered to preach, and did so for months. Rev. 
Mr. Earle and Rev. Mr. Knapp preached there 
many times, and meetings were held simultane- 
ously in the two halls thus won from Satan. 

"The result of these meetings was apparent, 
not only in the conversion of souls, and the re- 
claiming of many from their evil ways, but also 
in reviving the graces of Christians who attended ; 
and thus several churches in our own and neigh- 
boring cities were quickened. As nearly as could 
be ascertained, one hundred conversions could be 
counted as the direct result of the Globe Hall 
and Tammany Hall movement. How many 
were brought to God as the indirect result, eter- 
nity alone will reveal. 

" Besides the religious benefit, there were oth- 
ers which followed in the train of those meetings. 
The National Theatre, the Globe Hall Dance 
House, and Tammany Hall, with its gambling, 
cock-fighting, and drinking places, as well as sev- 
eral bar-rooms in the immediate neighborhood, 
were broken up and closed. And to-day the 



AND BETHEL WORK. 103 

bustle of honest business is seen in the places 
once filled with vice, and resounding with profane 
and angry words. 

" All this was conceived and attempted by Mr. 
Stowe ; but he was not forced to carry on the 
work single-handed, without sympathizing hearts 
and helping hands among his brethren. 

" Rev. D. M. Crane and F. B. Joy, of the Merri- 
mac Street Church, rendered efficient service in 
carrying on the meetings, as also did many pri- 
vate members of the -Baldwin Place, Bowdoin 
Square, and suburban churches. The regular 
contributors to the fund for defraying the ex- 
penses of the work were 

Asa Wilbur, L. J. Bradish, 

A. G. Stimson, George S. Dexter, 

G. W. Chipman, Charles W. Dexter, 

P. J. Forristall, O. W. Merriman, 

Dr. F. F. Patch, J. S. Paine, 

J. E. Daniels, J. S. Shearer, 

Joseph Sawyer, William E. Smith, 

H. H. W. Edmands, Gustavus Forbes, 

Reuben T. Robinson, E. S. Mills, 

S. G. Bowdlear, Charles B. Lane, 



104 PHINEAS STOWE 

Dwight Wheelock, Abijah Patch, 

Eben Weemen, B. W. Duncklee, 

E. W. Hale, C. E. Woodman, 

G. W. Cochrane, Cyrus Carpenter, 

N. P. Mann, Dea.Thos. Richardson. 

" Many of these still live, to rejoice that they 
were honored by sharing in that work and its re- 
wards ; but others have fallen on sleep, and are 
to-day recounting their labors, rejoicing over 
their gathered sheaves, -and singing, with their 
leader in that movement, — 

'Hosanna! Hosanna! 
Hosanna to the Lamb of God ! ' 

" These meetings were kept up from October, 
1858, to July, i860, when, from the buildings 
being turned to other uses, and from various 
causes, they were discontinued. But their mark 
lingers in the neighborhood to-day. 

" Surely this is a glorious record of the work 
of a few short months, guided by a hand that was 
ever lifted in behalf of the sinning and the suf- 
fering. That work was well done. That toiler 
is at rest, and his rest is glorious. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 105 

" The first convert of Globe Hall was Elias T. 
Caswell, the bar-keeper, to whom we have al- 
luded, who was soon baptized into the Bethel 
Church by Mr. Stowe. He at once began his 
new work, going about the city and the neigh- 
boring towns, preaching Christ in his simple 
way, and telling what great things he had done 
for his soul. 

" His simplicity and humility and his soul-felt 
appeals affected whole audiences to tears ; and 
there is no doubt but many souls were converted 
to God through his instrumentality. This man's 
wife, who had taken her young son and gone to 
another city on account of his dreadful habits, 
hearing of the change in him, returned home. 
She attended the meetings at Globe Hall and 
the Bethel, and was ere long converted, and 
united with the Bethel Church. 

" The meeting in Globe Hall of the aged 
Christian mother with her converted son, his wife, 
and child, was deeply affecting, and doubtless there 
was joy among the angels over these penitent 
sinners, now made one in Christ. 

" Brother Caswell was, after this, employed as 
a city missionary, and, with his wife, took charge 



106 PHINEAS ST OWE 

of the ' Quincy Home ' on North Street, estab- 
lished by the efforts of Mr. Stovve to save those 
who were just entering the ways that lead to a 
prison life. 

" This man, so strangely saved, continued to 
labor earnestly and humbly for the benefit of 
the fallen and the salvation of souls, till God 
called him up to the mansion prepared for him 
on high. He outlived the beloved pastor who 
had led Rim to Christ ; but on his decease, Mr. 
Stowe's successor, knowing how dear he was to 
him, carried out what he believed would have 
been his wish, by laying his remains in the sea- 
men's lot at Woodlawn Cemetery. Although he 
had never been a sailor, he was saved among 
sailors, wrought with sailors, loved them, and it 
was well he should sleep in the spot hallowed by 
the tears and the prayers of the sailor's friend, 
Phineas Stowe. 

"At one time Mr. Caswell heard some of the 
good brethren of the Bethel complaining — just 
a little, as the best of brethren do sometimes — 
that ' the pastor was neglecting his own work to 
do that of others ; that he ' went off his own 
fishing-ground to cast the net in strange waters.' 



AND BETHEL WORK. 107 

He replied, ' I am glad that he does go off his 
own fishing-ground ; for it was in so doing that 
he caught me.' 

" What have the Baptists in Boston done since 
then ? What are they doing to-day for the neg- 
lected North End ? They build fine dwellings 
and churches, and move far from these fields that 
lie waiting for the precious seed ; and that is all 
right. We cannot stem the current of progress, 
nor should we desire to do so/; but we can do 
something for this neighborhood. A union soci- 
ety is doing a noble work among the miserable 
and fallen of that region ; and a few churches, 
crippled by the removal of their members, and 
the influx of what we are too apt to regard ' a 
hopeless class,' — a Catholic population, — are 
struggling for life, and that is all. 

"We have at the North End a large church 
edifice, with an efficient pastor and earnest 
brethren, and a field not excelled on foreign 
shores in want, and woe, and sin. Why do we 
not, as Baptists, put our shoulder to the wheel, 
and carry the gospel, bread, and clothing, to the 
ignorant, poor, and degraded within reach of our 



io8 



PHINEAS ST OWE 



Bethel ? Can we not do it for Christ's sake, and 
'for the sake of Phineas Stowe/ who wrought 
till his brain staggered and his heart broke with 
the ' mighty work ' he had to do ? " 




CHAPTER X. 

Life-Work of Phineas Stowe. — Traits of 
Character. 




BY REV. WILLIAM HAGUE, D. D. 

HE Baptist Bethel cause in Boston is 
a live power, and has a history worth 
telling." This saying was uttered in 
our hearing, not long ago, by one whose sympa- 
thies with sea life kept him ever watchful of all 
the signs of the sky that are vocal with good au- 
guries for the toilers of the deep. Of such signs 
he had been a watcher for twenty years or more, 
and, in the words we have just now written, ex- 
pressed his appreciation of the announcement 
that there is forthcoming a memorial of Phineas 
Stowe, in whom, as a representative man, as the 
living exponent of an idea, the " Baptist Bethel 
Interest" of New England seemed, for a full 
quarter of a century, to have been incarnated. 
There are still living many active workers, 

109 



I 10 PHINEAS STOWE 

some few, perhaps, in foreign ports, or afar off 
upon the sea, who remember the coming of Mr. 
Stowe to Boston. He was of youthful appear- 
ance, in his manly prime, in excellent health and 
spirits, strong and hopeful, not seeking a place, 
or a field of action, but with a large heart, al- 
ready charged with a great life-errand, that could 
be accomplished nowhere so well as in the com- 
mercial metropolis of New England. 

With a generous, a world-wide Christian love 
for his race, his thoughts and sympathies were 
mainly with the men of the sea, to whom he felt 
himself bound by ties of family relationship, and 
of whom he could say, as the cosmopolitan apos- 
tle said in regard to his own nation, with a spe- 
cial emphasis of meaning, " My heart's desire and 
prayer to God is, that they may be saved." That 
one unceasing prayer, it may be safely said, tells 
the story of his inner life, and reveals the secret 
of his power. 

At the time to which we refer, his work was, in 
a very intelligible sense, creative. There was no 
denominational organism upon which he could 
rely for support. The churches with whom he 
was connected were engaged in mission work 



AND BETHEL WORK. in 

among the poor and needy of the landsmen, but 
no appealing voice had united their efforts in be- 
half of that "ancient and honorable," though 
neglected, class of heroic souls " that go down to 
the sea in ships, and do business in great waters." 
Despite the rising popularity, the princely sway, 
of that celebrated Methodist sailor-preacher, " Fa- 
ther Taylor," and the comparatively restricted 
efforts of other evangelical Christians, there was 
a vast and widening field of destitution, the sight 
of which stirred the heart of our young friend 
with a feeling akin to that which the evangelist 
attributes to Jesus in the saying, " When he saw 
the multitudes, he was moved with compassion 
on them, because they fainted, and were scattered 
abroad as sheep having no shepherd/' 

The divine call to his work was proved at 
once ; for the " scattered " sheep quickly recog- 
nized his shepherdly voice. The wandering "out- 
siders " gathered around him. Instinctively they 
trusted him ; and, as trust is the source of love, 
their hearts were opened speedily. So his word 
was with power, spoken always with child-like 
simplicity and manly earnestness. Thus they 
were won ; and, as it is written of another, " he 



112 PHINEAS STOWE 

brought them to Jesus." His success inspired 
confidence, attracted congenial helpers, gradually 
put ample means at his command, until his grow- 
ing work became a system of organized forces 
productive of those lasting results that, to this 
day, memorialize his name. When he had " ful- 
filled his course," it was our privilege to stand 
with the mourners at his grave, to talk of the 
munificent legacies he had bequeathed to the 
living, — the sailors' burial-ground, the Washing- 
tonian Home, the Discharged Soldiers' Home, 
the Quincy Home for the Friendless, the Mar- 
iner's Exchange, the Bethel Chapel, — monu- 
ments so noble as to deprive the conception of a 
marble column in the cemetery of its ordinary 
significance, by rendering its testimony so com- 
paratively poor and tame. 

In contemplating an effective life like this as a 
beautiful unity, we are naturally led to ask, Where 
lay the secret of its persistent force ? In an- 
swering such a question, we would not forget to 
give prominence to the fact, that Phineas Stowe 
enjoyed the advantage of an early determination 
of his life-aim — the one main object of pursuit 
that was to him a constant inspiration. Very 



AND BETHEL WORK. 113 

near the starting-point of his Christian course, 
he could say, with Paul, " This one thing I do." 
His heart was not divided. He was not dis- 
tracted or weakened by conflicting ambitions. 
There was no dallying nor wavering. To bring 
a converted sailor as a trophy to the Saviour's 
feet was, for him, " glory enough ; " to promote 
the spiritual welfare of seamen as a class, to lift 
them to a higher plane of intelligence and well- 
being, was something worth living for or dy- 
ing for. 

Hence he was strong ; verifying, in his experi- 
ence, the Italian proverb, " Love knows no labor." 
Even his drudgery, issuing in success, became 
recreation and exhilaration. I have seen him 
when he was pale, and hoarse, and hungry, and 
weak, and faint ; but I never saw him when 
his heart seemed weary, or his spirit tired. He 
always expected success in work, and victory in 
conflict, because he really loved Christ, and be- 
lieved all his promises. All the energies with 
which he was gifted were concentrated upon one 
grand aim ; and such concentration is enduring 
power. 

His direct influence over others, especially 
8 



114 PHINEAS ST OWE 

with the class for whom he lived, was — using 
the word in a figurative sense — magnetic. The 
ground of this statement is the fact that his 
genial nature expressed itself to the eye through 
a set of features, and a corresponding manner, 
that were harmoniously truthful to it, and did it 
ample justice. A stranger once said of him, 
" His face is a letter of credit." It was, in fact, 
" a living epistle." To all the world he seemed a 
transparent character. Who ever doubted him ? 
His simplicity made him great. He was per- 
fectly fearless. He could go anywhere, at any 
time, in the worst places, speak to anybody, and 
say just what he wished to say. In this he was 
wonderfully Christ-like. He was at home, a 
friend and brother "among publicans and sin- 
ners." They stood in awe of him, yet almost 
worshipped him. Such a combination of qual- 
ities, unified in action, is one of the rarest and 
choicest characters to be found anywhere upon 
the face of the earth. You may look far to 
match it. Or, if it happen that you do match it 
\iear at hand, you may wait long for a third. 

And now, upon the end of Phineas Stowe's 
career, looking back, we may find a noteworthy 
Wesson at its beginning. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 115 

He was a native of Connecticut, born at Mil- 
ford, in 18 1 2 ; and at fifteen years of age, at New 
Haven, while employed in a store, a worshipper 
with a Congregational church, he was converted ; 
that is, became a Christian by a conscious self- 
surrender to the Saviour. At that time he had 
no thought of ever receiving baptism- on a pro- 
fession of personal faith. Rather, he regarded 
an extern alism of this sort as a matter of indif- 
ference. One day, however, after the lapse of 
two years, all this was suddenly changed. A 
passage of Scripture, a saying of Jesus, arrested 
his attention. It was this (Luke vii. 29, 30) : 
"And all the people that heard him, and the pub- 
licans, justified God, being baptized of John ; but 
the pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of 
God against themselves, being not baptized of 
him." The idea seemed new, like a fresh rev- 
elation. Every syllable was vocal. It awakened 
a series of suggestions, thus : Christ certainly 
taught that his kingdom is spiritual, that salvation 
is by faith in him. Yet here he declares that the 
act of baptism justifies God, and that the refusal 
of baptism had been accounted as a rejection of 
God's counsel against one's self. To that exter- 



Il6 PHINEAS ST OWE 

nal act, then, he attached extraordinary signifi- 
cance. What was his meaning ? Why did he 
introduce that same matter into his last commis- 
sion ? And so, from that scriptural starting- 
point, the whole subject was studied anew, until 
the conclusion was clear that loyalty to Christ 
required a voluntary baptism as an emblematic 
testimony of faith, and a vow of obedience. The 
vow was taken, and its expression of free self- 
dedication to a buried, risen, living Saviour be- 
came the keynote of that loving life-anthem, 
whose last notes fell upon mortal ears as he was 
passing through "the shadows of the valley." 
They have ceased to sound amid the din of 
earthly life, but they are not forgotten here. He 
is still a living presence. His work abideth. 





CHAPTER XI. 

Mr. Stowe's Poetical Efforts. 

r addition to Mr. Stowe's ordinary du- 
ties of visiting seamen on board of 
their vessels and at their boarding- 
houses for the purpose of religious conversation, 
and to persuade them to attend the weekly ser- 
vices at the Bethel, visiting the sick and dying 
at all hours of the day or night, whenever called 
upon, attending funerals, performing marriages, 
and listening to an almost endless recital of tales 
of distress from those who called upon him for 
charity, he found time to compile, in 1849, tne 
" Ocean Melodies and Seamen's Companion," for 
the use of Bethels, chaplains of the navy, and 
private devotions of mariners. In his own lan- 
guage, " The design of the Melodies is to coun- 
teract the demoralizing tendency of productions 
claiming to be poetry, that are scattered broad- 

117 



Il8 PHINEAS ST OWE 

cast upon our wharves, and to furnish something 
that will interest seamen, and at the same time 
awaken the better feelings of their nature ; hymns 
that will call up remembrances of home, and lead 
them to recognize God's power, and hear his 
voice in the storms that sweep over the deep." 

An incident will show how this effort was ap- 
preciated by one of the class that the book was 
designed to benefit. When the gold fever was at 
its height in California, a sailor was working in 
the mines, when he was joined by a seaman from 
this section of the country, who had a copy of 
the Ocean Melodies, that he had procured at the 
Bethel. As "birds of a feather flock together,'' 
they soon became warm friends ; and one being 
a good, moral man, and the other a Christian, on 
the Sabbath and during the evenings of the week, 
they experienced great enjoyment in reading and 
singing from this book. After the lapse of some 
months, when the owner of the Melodies was on 
the eve of leaving for home, the remaining one 
offered an ounce of gold, valued at seventeen 
dollars, for the book. This offer the man ac- 
cepted, supplying its place with another soon 
after his arrival in Boston. When this incident 



AND BETHEL WORK. II9 

was related to the compiler, he felt amply repaid 
for all the time and labor expended in preparing 
the book for the press. He afterwards published 
" Melodies for the Temperance Ship," a collection 
of hymns " designed to promote sobriety, virtue, 
and religion on land and sea." 

Mr. Stowe made no pretensions to the reputa- 
tion of a poet, but, possessing a lively imagina- 
tion, quick sensibilities, and generous sympathies, 
it was natural enough that his enthusiastic nature 
should sometimes overstep the ordinary language 
of prose, and reveal itself in poetic numbers. 
Whatever he composed of that character was, for 
the most part, thrown off in the excitement of 
the moment, and was never elaborated afterwards. 
Still, it is believed that some of his effusions are 
not without merit, and that they will be read with 
interest, as displaying the spirit of the man. 
Such as they are, we feel that they have a place 
in the record of his life. 

The following lines were written by Mr. Stowe 
for the second anniversary of the opening of 
Globe Hall for a daily prayer meeting, at that 
time conducted by the Young Men's Christian 
Association : — 



I20 PHINEAS ST OWE 



ANNIVERSARY HYMN. 

With grateful hearts, blest Saviour, 

We bow before thy throne, 
And praise thee for thy greatness, 

For by thy power alone 
This place has been a gateway 

To a celestial path, 
Leading from death and ruin, 

And from eternal wrath. 

Here light has cheered the gloomy, 

And love reclaimed the lost; 
Wanderers have found their Saviour, 

And he is now their boast. 
Here young and old have worshipped 

The holy Three in One, 
Where sin and degradation 

Had fixed their crumbling throne. 

Here we unfurl thj- banner, 

And bid the lost to come, 
Saviour, for thou art waiting 

To take the wanderer home. 
Here let the union spirit 

Continue and abound; 
For soon, life's voyage over, 

The faithful will be crowned. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 121 



THE BETHEL. 

The Bethel is the place for thee, 
Thou wanderer o'er the pathless sea; 
Here you may have your spirit blest, 
And find in Jesus perfect rest. 

The Bethel is the place for thee, 
For God is here, and he will see 
Thy tearful eye and throbbing heart, 
And bid thy load of guilt depart. 

The Bethel is the place for thee 
To pay the vows you made at sea ; 
When crested billows o'er you rolled, 
You mercy craved, with sighs untold. 

The Bethel is the place for thee, 
Dear seaman ; now to Jesus flee ; 
Then, when the storms of life are passed, 
You'll go where all the weary rest. 



SPEAK TO THE SAILOR. 

Go, speak to that brave seaman; 

He has a generous heart; 
Your winning words may lead him 

To choose a " better part." 

Speak to him of that Saviour 
Who died and rose again, 

And chose his first disciples 
From sailors — fishermen. 



122 PHINEAS STOWB 

A thrill of joy in heaven 
Among the holy throng, 

While angel-harps are ringing, 
To swell the pleasing song. 

The lost has found the Saviour; 

The wanderer has come home; 
"A word was fitly spoken," 

Is echoed round the throne. 



REST IN HEAVEN. 

How sweet is that home where the weary shall rest! 
No toil, no temptations are known by the blest; 
A bright bow of glory will shine o'er their way, 
And saints with the angels will chant a sweet lay. 

There shall be no night in that blessed abode, 
For all shall behold the bright image of God; 
His light will illumine and cheer every soul, 
While age after age shall unceasingly roll. 

Let rays from that home my pathway now light, 
And give me fresh courage to "fight the good fight, 
To finish my course, and receive a bright crown, 
And dwell with my Saviour, and rest in my home. 



AND BETHEL WORK. \2$ 



DEATH AND BURIAL OF REV. ADONIRAM 
JUDSON, D. D., AT SEA. 

[Almost the last words of this great and good man 
were, "Bury me, bury me, quick, quick!'* And his voice 
failed. The author of the following lines has supplied 
the expression "in the sea" to this request of the dying 
Christian. It may or it may not have been his wish 
to be buried in the deep. His wide grave, however, is 
emblematical of the vast influence he has had in arous- 
ing a slumbering world to the subject of foreign missions, 
to the promotion of which cause he devoted over thirty 
years of unceasing toil. He realized the importance of 
converted mariners in the work of evangelizing the world, 
and they, with others, performed the sad office of commit- 
ting his remains to the bosom of the great, wide sea.] 

"Bury me, bury me, quick, quick," in the sea; 
Thy grave will be far from the " Hopia tree," 
And far from the rock * where the loved is at rest, 
The ocean beneath her, the turf on her breast. 

" Bury me, bury me, quick, quick," in the sea; 
It's the emblem of One who died on the Tree; 
The grave is all boundless, and pure, like his throne, 
And o'er it he mirrors the works he hath done. 

"Bury me, bury me, quick, quick," in the sea; 
What tomb could be chosen more fitted for thee? 
Thou lov'dst the bright sea, and o'er it hadst sailed 
To the land where gross darkness long had prevailed. 

* Dr. Judson's second wife was buried at St Helena. 



124 PHINEAS ST OWE 

Yes, they buried thee quick, in the cold, blue deep, 
At the calm hour of eve, when the winds were asleep; 
Around thee were gathered the true and the brave, 
And tears of affection were shed o'er thy grave. 



The champion has fallen ! Life's battle is o'er; 
He's landed above, on the Victors bright shore, 
Where death cannot enter, no foe can affright; 
In that "mansion prepared," all, all is delight. 

Sublime was his life, and the wide ocean grave, 
Both blending in one, to embalm and engrave 
Deep, deep on the heart his works in dark climes, 
Where the lamp of salvation brightly now shines. 

In the deep, dark ocean his body shall rest, 
Till the archangel's trump shall sound its loud blast; 
Then from his wide tomb his body shall rise, 
With myriads of Burmese ascend to the skies. 

How joyous the greeting, when loved ones shall meetj 
On the banks of deliverance, with melody sweet, 
And chant all in union the Lamb's dying love 
In saving and crowning the ransomed above! 





CHAPTER XII. 
Extracts from Diary and Letters. 

R. STOWE'S multiplied labors did not 
admit of his keeping regularly a diary, 
but as the opportunity offered, he made 

a note of any particularly interesting occurrence. 

From these jottings we insert a few extracts, 

commencing with a record of a part of one day's 

doings: — 

"Saturday, August 15, 1868. 

"1. Called on Ethan Allen — a poor soldier; 
found him very sick ; gave him a little aid. 

" 2. Soldier called at my house under the influ- 
ence of rum. 

" 3. Mother and daughter came for help. Fifty 
cents. 

" 4. Mr. H.'s wife called ; gave her twenty-five 
cents. I went to see her husband ; gave him 
twenty-five cents. 



126 PHINEAS ST OWE 

" 5. Attended the funeral of Sister C.'s hus- 
band. 

" 6. Performed a marriage ceremony in Charles- 
town, and one in Boston. 

" 7. Brother H. called ; gave him one dollar. 

" 8. A Scotchman called ; set him up in busi- 
ness ; gave him one dollar. 

" 9. A brother called in trouble ; sad case. 

" 10. A man met me in the street; came to my 
house and took the pledge. 

"11. A man called to get a bill paid. Fifty 
dollars. 

"12. Went to Mariner's Exchange and -con- 
versed with seamen. 

"13. Called on Brother L. ; paid his bill. 

" 14. Sister B. called, and took the Bethel Flag. 

"yanuary 3, 1864. 

" Had a delightful day ; baptized a sailor, and 
received four by letter. In the evening meeting 
nine came forward for prayer. One said that he 
came to the Bethel to make sport ; but the Lord 
sent an arrow to his heart. Lord, help us work 
in thy vineyard faithfully. We know not but 
that this may be our last year of labor. A crown 
of glory awaits the just." 



AND BETHEL WORK. 12? 

For the same reason that Mr. Stowe did not 
keep a diary, — want of time, — his pastoral calls 
were not as many, nor as frequent, as his heart 
prompted ; a fact which he regretted. 

"July 13, 1868. 

" Lament and Resolve. — I enter upon my 
twenty-fourth year of labor among seamen and 
landsmen, and among the many, very many, de- 
fects in my ministry, I think one of the greatest 
is in not visiting my people more at their homes, 
and knowing their children better. I hope I 
may make amends the remainder of my pastoral 
life. God knows that I love all my people. Je- 
sus, help me do this work for thy glory alone, — 
alone, — my blessed Master. I am a very un- 
profitable servant. O, if I get to the better land, 
I will praise thee with all my heart ! Do, Mas- 
ter, forgive me for my short-comings in duty. 
Holy Spirit, help me do the will of God from the 
heart. In tears I write this confession. 'Search 
me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and 
know my thoughts, and see if there be any wick- 
ed way in me, and lead me in the way everlast- 



128 PHINEAS ST OWE 

"Boston, April 6, 1866. 

" The effort to procure funds for the poor may 
lead me into perplexity ; but I know the Lord is 
with me, and I cannot doubt that he will make 
me triumph in his name. All things shall work 
for my good. I have faith in God. Blessed Mas- 
ter, is not my heart right in thy sight ? Help 
me to prove to the world that I am thine. I 
know in whom I have believed. Lift me above 
selfishness, and keep me very humble. 

" Having often been disgusted with myself and 
others for blowing our own trumpet, I will, with 
the Master's help, keep self, little self, out of sight 
as much as possible, and exalt only Christ." 

The following is the last letter written by Mr. 
Stowe to his wife : — 

"New York, October 14, 1868. 
" Darling One : Oliver Dyer, Esq., of New 
York, will lecture in Music Hall next Friday 
evening. I wish you to form his acquaintance. 
I have told him of you, and he will expect you to 
make yourself known to him. I am very happy, 
but should be more so if you were here. It will 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 29 

now be but a few hours when I shall see you and 

dear M , the two brightest faces, to me, on 

earth. I love you both too well ; I should love 
Jesus more, and you less. Forgive me, Master, 
for my undue attachment to things of time. My 
health is improving slowly. The Lord has a 
great work for me to do yet. Souls will praise 
him in heaven for the labor here performed. . . . 
You know my work is with the lowly. I am an 
instrument in saying a word for Christ. Do not 
be uneasy about me. The hand of Jesus is in 
mine, and I am his. I have many precious things 
to write you. . . . You have received the tel- 
egram. I have lost the letter that I wrote you 
this morning. . . . 

"Good night, darling. 

P. STOWE." 

We insert one letter addressed to a seaman — 
a member of the Bethel Church : — 

" My dear Brother D. : The Bethel work is 
still prospering. Souls are submitting to Christ. 
It gives me joy to know that some who have the 
opportunity of hearing the gospel preached in 
more attractive places, are so attached to the 
9 



130 PHINEAS STOWE 

Bethel that they prefer it to any other place of 
worship. We have occasion to be grateful that 
' the way of His feet is glorious ' among us. I 
hope I may ever be kept humble and faithful in 
this vast field. It will not be long before we 
shall be called to rest from our work. What a 
prospect is before the faithful disciple of the 
Lord Jesus Christ ! What are all the attractions 
of earth, compared to those promised to him who 
is to be crowned a victor amid the assembled 
millions from all climes ! O, what will be his joy 
who safely reaches heaven, where he shall eter- 
nally drink of a fountain of blessedness that 
will never be exhausted ! At times I am filled 
with delight at the thought of what God has 
in reserve for those who love him. My brother, 
keep your eye on the crown. Rejoice that you 
have an evidence that your name is written in 
heaven. Religion is the most important subject 
that can engage the mind of man. Love to Christ 
gives us an earnest of the inheritance reserved 
for us. You can be instrumental in saving 
souls. Fix your mind upon some poor sinner, 
and strive to bring him to Jesus. This will 
give an unction to your prayers, and God will 



AND BETHEL WORK. 131 

be glorified by permitting you to see that your 
work is not in vain. We often speak of you 
in the family, and you are not forgotten at the 
throne of grace. 

"Yours, in Christian bonds, 

PHINEAS STOWE." 

The following was written to a seaman in the 
navy : — 

"Boston, October 5, 1862. 

" My dear Friend F. : Your letter has been 
received. How it would cheer me to visit your 
ship, and see you and others whose acquaintance 
I have enjoyed in days past ! I love the sailor, 
and she who sleeps in her ocean grave loved 
them. My sainted Helen chose for her life-com- 
panion a noble man, Captain Henry W. Staples, 
and together they rest in the ocean's deep cav- 
erns. You, and, thank God, thousands of other 
seamen in our navy, can testify that I have tried 
to do them good. God called me to this work, 
and it will one day be seen who is the sailor's 
true friend. I have suffered reproach, and am suf- 
fering, from a class of men who are no friends of 
the sailor when his money is gone. I cherish no 



132 PHINEAS STOWE 

malice in my heart towards any man ; but I am 
fully aware that there are persons in Boston who 
hate me because I damage their business in keep- 
ing men from their soul-polluting places. While 
life lasts, I shall maintain my hostility against 
those whom I regard as the enemies of the sailor. 
In this way I show my sincere love for seamen. 
I must abide my time. I am the true friend of 
those I oppose, and they will see it one day. If 
my conduct has rebuked their ungodliness, that 
is an important point to gain. We must rebuke 
men in their sins. I trust you, and some others 
in the navy, rejoice that the 'grog tub' is no 
more. Its banishment will do good. God be 
praised for what he is doing in our country. 
Emancipation is on our banner, and he will give 
us the victory." . . . 

The last letter inserted is introduced to show 
that his early labors among seamen were charac- 
terized by the same Christian zeal and heartfelt 
interest that were apparent in the closing years 
of his life. 

" Dear Brother F. : You are acquainted with 
the moral condition of seamen. I have been 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 33 

laboring for their benefit for nearly eight years, 
and in that time, I humbly trust, have had many 
souls given me, as seals of my ministry. Seamen 
of all nations have visited our place of worship, 
and not a few have given satisfactory evidence of 
a change of heart. I have distributed thousands 
of Bibles, Testaments, tracts, and religious papers 
among them, and have given away, on a single 
Sabbath, over fifty copies of the Word of God. 
It is my custom, near the close of the services on 
Sabbath and Thursday evenings, to ask those 
who would like to be remembered in the prayers 
of the people of God to rise, thus making it man- 
ifest that they are anxious about their soul's sal- 
vation ; and it is very seldom that this invitation 
is unheeded. On Thursday evening of each 
week we have a temperance meeting, at which 
hundreds of mariners have taken the pledge. 
My peculiar mode of administering it may be 
found in the preface of a little book I have pub- 
lished, called ' Melodies for the Temperance 
Ship.' I have visited a number of government 
vessels, and been well received by captain, offi- 
cers, and crew. The navy is an interesting field 
of labor. The Lord has converted many in it. 



134 PHINEAS ST OWE 

Not long since I received a cheering letter from 
a sailor on board the frigate Independence, who 
stated that a great work of grace had been going 
on in that ship. Indeed, I am constantly hearing 
encouraging reports from seamen in different 
parts of the world, who have been benefited by 
truth received at the Bethel. We ' cast the bread 
upon the waters, and receive it after many days.' 

" In illustration of this fact, I will give you an 
extract from a letter that I received a short time 
since from a friend in San Francisco : — 

" ' In the Methodist Church, in this city, I met 
a sailor who appeared so happy, that I asked him 
if he belonged to a Bethel in New York or Bos- 
ton. He replied that he did not, but while in 
Boston he heard you preach from the text, " Be- 
hold, he prayeth," and was so much impressed 
with the necessity and duty of prayer, that he 
could not forget the truth, even in the gold mines 
of California. To-day is the Sabbath. He has 
laid aside his boat while other boatmen are at 
work, in order to go to the house of God. It 
may be truthfully said of him, " Behold, he pray- 
eth." So, brother, you see that the truth sown a 
year and a half ago in Boston, at the corner of 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 35 

Lewis and Commercial Streets, has drifted about 
on the ocean, and at length has landed on the 
wicked shores of California, and taken root, and 
brought forth fruit to the honor and glory of God. 
I thought you would like to hear this, for it is 
encouraging to Bethel ministers to learn these 
.facts.' 

" These accounts are gladly received, for they 
assure me that I am not laboring in vain, nor 
spending my strength for nought. You are 
aware that seamen are duped and shamefully 
abused by a worthless class of men called 'land- 
sharks,' who get them intoxicated, and then rob 
them of all their earnings. Recently a seaman, 
on arriving in this city, went to an eating-house, 
where he paid for a few days' board in advance. 
While taking the money from his belt, he per- 
ceived several persons in an adjoining room 
narrowly watching him, and from certain sig- 
nificant signs, he knew they had marked him 
for their prey. He soon left the house. They 
followed him, but he escaped from their hands. 
The next evening, on going to see a collection 
of wild animals in Haymarket Square, he recog- 
nized the individual playing the violin to be one 



136 PHINEAS ST OWE 

of those suspicious characters he saw the day 
before at the eating-house. 

"The moment he spied him, the violin was laid 
aside ; on seeing which the sailor sprang out of 
the door, and two or three scoundrels after him. 
Trembling and pale, he came to my house, and 
asked protection, which was readily granted. He 
informed me of the danger from which he had 
escaped, and on visiting the house, I found his 
statement to be correct. 

" Where is there a class of persons who are ex- 
posed to so many hardships, both on sea and 
land, as the poor sailor ? When he is emanci- 
pated from the thraldom of sin into the liberty 
of Christ, the change in his character is so 
marked, that the ' world takes knowledge of him, 
that he has been with Jesus.' It is cheering to 
listen to the soul-stirring exhortations of regen- 
erated seamen. One remarked, that his 'con- 
version was as great a miracle as the Lord ever 
performed.' He had ' committed sin enough to 
destroy all the souls in the universe.' It had 
been his delight to decoy young men into the 
paths of vice, and he wept when he thought of 
the multitudes of youth whose minds he had cor- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 37 

rupted. He was on board the ship that conveyed 
the beloved and lamented Boardman to the land 
of his toils and death, and while on the passage 
this servant of the Lord explained to him the 
operations of the Spirit on the sinner's heart. 
As this seaman finished relating his experience 
in the Bethel, an aged sailor stepped forward, 
and, taking his hand, expressed his sympathy for 
him, saying that he too had been plucked as a 
4 brand from the burning/ at the eleventh hour. 
It was an impressive scene, and many were the 
tears shed by those who witnessed it. 

"How much good a Christian seaman has it in 
his power to accomplish, visiting as he does the 
different nations of the globe ! 

" Dr. Judson remarked that one ship's company 
of converted seamen could do more for the 
world's conversion than he could. Sailors have 
an influence over their shipmates which no one 
else can acquire, and they wield that influence, 
for good or ill, just in proportion to the power 
religion has over their own hearts. 

"Our chapel will not accommodate those who 
wish to labor in this great field. The Baptists 
are behind other denominations in the sailor's 



138 PHI NBAS STOWE 

reform. This should not be the case, when we 
remember that it was a Baptist clergyman in 
England who first unfurled the Bethel flag. I 
can say with confidence that a more important 
and encouraging field of labor than this does not 
present itself to the Christian church. Its effects 
are wide-reaching, extending to every part of the 
globe, and yet we may emphatically say it is a 
home as well as a foreign mission. 

" We are encouraged by the promise that ' the 
abundance of the sea shall be converted* to 
Christ. The Bethel Church now numbers over 
seventy. It is but little more than two years 
since it was formed, with fourteen members. The 
* Lord hath done great things for us, whereof 
we are glad! The work of grace is still pro- 
gressing. 

"Yours, in Christian affection, 

PHINEAS STOWE. 
"Boston, January 26, 1853." 





CHAPTER XIII. 

Personal Characteristics. 

HE face, the form, and the mien of Mr. 
Stowe are engraved on the hearts, not 
only of those who had familiar inter- 
course with him, but also of those who only met 
him as he walked our streets on his errands of 
mercy. But for the sake of such as never saw him, 
we may be allowed to say that his personal appear- 
ance was remarkably fine, and his manners and 
bearing courteous and dignified alike to equals 
and inferiors. He never thwarted his object — 
as many do — by an ungracious way of present- 
ing it. His calls, which were many and urgent, 
may sometimes have wearied those whom he re- 
garded as his Heaven-appointed bankers ; but 
none of them ever had the heart to turn coldly 
from him, or to give him a rude word. He was 
always received as a gentleman by gentlemen, 
hundreds of whom remember to-day the magic 

139 



140 PHINEAS ST OWE 

power of his voice and his eye over their purse- 
strings. 

We call to mind an instance of this power 
of one noble mind over another. Many years 
ago Mr. Stowe was greatly interested in a 
" man-of-war's-man," who had been reclaimed 
from evil ways, and converted at the Bethel. 
He had great faith in this man's power over 
other sailors, and so desired most earnestly to 
keep him on land. He applied to a gentle- 
man in one of our churches for employment for 
him, and was soon rejoiced to see the sailor in- 
stalled as porter in his warehouse. 

But the poor fellow could pull ropes and climb 
the masts with more agility and safety than he 
could lift or shoulder burdens on shore. He 
soon found the new work too severe, and was 
obliged to leave, with a fear that he should have 
to lose his home (it was the first home he had 
ever known) and go back to his old life again. 

Mr. Stowe shrewdly drew the picture of this 
humble home in vivid colors before the eye of the 
employer, and begged him to go and see for him- 
self the little place which the toil of a humble 
woman was keeping bright and cheery ; at the 



AND BETHEL WORK. 141 

same time dwelling on the need he himself had 
of just such a man as this to help him on the 
wharves and on shipboard. 

The gentleman went to the house, and his 
heart was touched by the air of thrift and happi- 
ness that pervaded it. He told Mr. Stowe to set 
the man at work, and that he would give him a 
dollar a day for one year. ~ 

And he did that, and far more. As the years 
have fled, misfortune and sickness, and finally old 
age, have come upon that man. And to this hour 
the friend whom Phineas Stowe won for him has 
stood by him, and will do so while he needs a 
human helper. 

Earnest and enthusiastic as Mr. Stowe was, he 
never lowered himself in his efforts for the de- 
graded and fallen. He resorted to no clap-trap, 
used no street slang, no ludicrous nautical phrases, 
in his efforts to draw such men into the Bethel or 
the Exchange. He never called a sailor " Jack," 
or " My hearty," nor in any way made himself " hail 
fellow well met " with them, or with the roistering 
young landsmen who came under his influence. 

He held up Christ as the Friend of sinners ; 
he urged, he entreated, he prayed with men ; he 



142 PHINEAS ST OWE 

fed them when hungry, sheltered them when 
homeless, clothed them when stripped of their 
raiment, cared for them when wounded and left 
half dead. But he held them in their proper 
place, and never gave them any occasion for 
using undue familiarity with him, or treating him 
otherwise than as the messenger of Heaven — as 
they believed him to be. 

Mr. Stowe's delicacy and refinement were par- 
ticularly noticeable in his manner towards the 
honest and virtuous poor. He never planted a 
thorn in the heart while putting bread in the 
mouth. He was truly a Son of Consolation. 
His ready sympathy and word of cheer always 
sanctified the gift of his hand. He gave as if 
the hand outstretched for succor were that of 
Jesus himself, and the blessing which went forth 
from him was returned a hundred fold into his 
own overflowing soul. 

None but men of noble soul can be benefactors 
in the highest sense of that word ; but such he was, 
whether giving of the little with which God had 
intrusted him personally, or of the large bounty 
placed in his hand by generous Christian friends. 



mm^mmm 




CHAPTER XIV. 
Glimpses of the Past. 

WRITER has said, " A true life is of 
itself the most sacred of words, and he 
who speaks it in deeds must needs be 
possessed by what he utters." This was pre- 
eminently true of Mr. Stowe. He never con- 
ceived a plan for the benefit of others, that for the 
time being did not take complete possession of 
all his powers ; but only in communing with God 
did he receive strength to execute his benevolent 
designs. When depressed in spirits, in conse- 
quence of not being able to interest others as he 
would like in some philanthropic movement with 
which his soul was engrossed, he would carry 
the matter to God in secret prayer, after which 
his face would be radiant with a brightness not of 
earth, and he believed that effort would surely 
succeed. 

143 



144 PHINEAS ST OWE 

Of him it could be truthfully said, his " peace " 
was." like a river, and his righteousness like the 
waves of the sea." In the nearly seventeen years 
of our married life, I never knew his implicit trust 
in Jesus to waver, or the flame of his Christian 
zeal to flicker. When saying to him one day, 
" I never remember hearing you express a doubt 
of your acceptance with Christ," he replied, " O, 
no ; I settled that question long, long ago." His 
low sobbings in the night have awakened me, 
and when inquiring the cause, he would say, 
" I am weeping for joy. Jesus is so delightfully 
near and precious amid all my unworthiness, that 
I cannot keep the tears back." 

The secret of his success as a philanthropist 
and minister of the gospel lay in the consecration 
of all his powers to the service of Christ. " Wist 
ye not that I must be about my Father's busi- 
ness ? " was the language of his life, and in pros- 
ecuting it, he feared no disease, nor shrank from 
any exposure. When called at midnight, or in 
the early hours of the morning, to visit the sick 
or dying, I would sometimes say, " Ask the mes- 
senger with what disease is the person ill ; " but 
he would reply, " No ; I am immortal until my 
work is done." 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 45 

One season, when cholera prevailed in the city, 
he was called to a place where, within a few 
hours, three persons died with it. The attending 
physician came to our house to say that they 
were cases of Asiatic cholera, and he did not 
think it advisable for Mr. Stowe to protract his 
calls at the house. One of the persons ill was a 
young man, who was dying without a passport to 
heaven — faith in Christ ; and Mr. Stowe was 
distressed about his spiritual condition. For a 
long time he held his hand, over which the chill 
of death was gathering, trying to keep him con- 
scious while he should tell of Jesus' love to the 
dying thief, and urge him, in his weakness, to fall 
into arms that were extended to receive him. 
When he passed away, as Mr. Stowe left the 
house, the hand that had been held in a dying 
grasp commenced paining him, and it was not 
until the third day that it regained its natural 
feeling. 

No one was ever more sensitively alive to his 
own deficiencies than was he. When soliciting 
funds for a benevolent object, he carried with him 
such a sunny face, that some might have consid- 
ered him wanting in those fine sensibilities which 

10 



146 PHINEAS STOWE 

enter largely into the character of the true gen- 
tleman ; but such little know his wrestlings in 
secret prayer for grace to enable him to perform 
whatever Christ required at his hands. After his 
decease something was found among his papers 
bearing upon this point. He writes, " Last win- 
ter I was informed that the Bethel Society was in 
need of funds to meet its liabilities. Without 
applying to churches in the country [which in 
other years he had been compelled to do] to aid 
in the Bethel mission, I concluded to remain in 
the city on the Sabbath, and during the week 
present an impressive blank-book to our friends 
in Boston. I should greatly prefer to be seen 
with a Bible than a subscription-book ; but while 
it is humiliating, I trust my love for the truths 
of the Bible induced me to launch out into the 
deep, let down my net, and fish for funds to re- 
plenish our exhausted treasury. We were made 
happy by the generous responses we received 
from those who aided us in establishing the 
Discharged Soldiers' Home." 

He never made the inquiry, " Lord, what wilt 
thou have me to do ? " and then persistently closed 
his ears, fearing that he might hear the reply. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 47 

It was in the privacy of home, however, where 
his Christian virtues shone the brightest. There 
he delighted to speak of excellences in others which 
he thought he did not possess. Said a teacher in 
our city, who for a period of time made his house 
her home, " From six months' daily intercourse 
with Mr. Stowe in his family, I must admit that 
he approaches nearest to perfection in character 
of any person I ever met." This remark was 
made before death had thrown over him,- as it 
does over all, the mantle of charity. As streams 
run from an overflowing spring, carrying beauty 
and verdure in their course, so his daily deeds of 
kindness were but so many streamlets from that 
" well of water " in him, " springing up into ever- 
lasting life," of which our Saviour, centuries since, 
told the woman of Samaria. 

One can only give an outline of works which 
were the fruit of Christ's love in his heart. His 
Bethel efforts alone, when reviewed, seem marvel- 
lous. On taking charge of that enterprise, in 
July, 1845, there were four persons present at his 
first evening meeting. Standing in the stern of a 
boat which his predecessor had used for a pulpit, 
he could nearly touch the ceiling with his hand. 



148 PHINEAS STOWE 

Very soon the floor above was obtained, and the 
ceiling between removed, which improved the 
appearance and accommodations of the hall. A 
gallery was built at one end of the hall, the seats 
in which, with those on the main floor, were soon 
filled. The stern of the boat was removed, and a 
pulpit substituted, which was once occupied by 
Rev. Dr. Maginnis, of Madison, and Rev. Dr. 
Champlin, late President of Colby University, 
while pastors of the First Baptist Church, in Port- 
land, Maine. The money requisite to effect this 
change he collected mostly from merchants on 
the wharves in the north part of the city. He 
obtained from Deacon Thomas Richardson a bell, 
which, like the pulpit he occupied, never gave out 
an uncertain sound. Its tones were not as clear 
and silvery as some, yet they have been like the 
sweetest music in the ears of many a one who 
have been attracted by them to a place where 
they heard words that made them wise unto eter- 
nal life. 

Next to his home, that " old battle-ground " was 
the dearest spot on earth. There he could locate 
her to whom he gave his boyish affections as well 
as the love of his maturer years, and his darling 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 49 

Helen, whose sweet voice in song had beguiled so 
many weary hours, and whose melancholy death 
aided in laying the foundation of that disease 
which terminated his life. There, too, it was his 
delight, on each Sabbath morning, to lead his 
little Charlie, that a love and sympathy for sailors 
might be interwoven with his childish affections. 
If spared to grow to manhood, and called to the 
work, he desired for him no greater honor than to 
be a faithful preacher to seamen. Associated with 
the place were memories of several of the depart- 
ed members of his church, to whom he was at- 
tached by tender Christian ties. Unspeakably 
dear was the old Bethel, on account of the tears 
of penitence he had there so often seen course 
down the cheeks of many a weather-beaten sailor, 
as well as dweller on the land, as they bowed be- 
neath the weight of sin. When light and peace 
entered their souls, their songs of praise were, 
in his ears, sweeter than the music of angels. In 
that old spot how often heaven came down to 
earth ! I have thought, as some newly-born con- 
vert, albeit in the humble garb of a sailor, testified, 
in the ardor of his first love, so touchingly of the 
soul-satisfying portion he had received, the joy in 



150 PHINEAS STOWE 

his bronzed face corroborating the truth of the 
words that he uttered, how gladly would that once 
haughty queen have exchanged places with him, 
as, shrinking appalled from the approach of death, 
she exclaimed, " Millions of money for an inch of 
time!" 

Nothing but the belief that the Masters cause 
could be better served in a more favorable local- 
ity made him willing to leave that place, hallowed 
by sacred memories, and in the depth of winter 
put forth efforts to secure the new Bethel. It 
involved a fearful draft upon his nervous as well 
as physical system to raise twenty thousand 
dollars in five months, one half of the amount in 
comparatively small sums. It was more necessary 
to preach what would be equivalent to a sermon 
to obtain five dollars from one person, than five 
hundred dollars from another. In addition to his 
personal efforts, there probably was not one 
among the hundreds of contributors who gave to 
the object as largely, in proportion to his means, 
as did he. 

With divine help, he carried the Bethel enter- 
prise through a period of twenty-four years, much 
of the time amid discouragements, that would 



AND BETHEL WORK. 151 

have completely disheartened a man not ordained 
of Heaven for this special work. When he 
passed through the valley, he left in the pos- 
session of the Boston Baptist Bethel Society 
one of the finest Bethel edifices in the country, 
and as the result of faithful sowing of the gospel 
seed, a church membership of nearly four hundred. 
It is not surprising that thoughts of his " mighty 
work " should intrude, even as snatches of that 
" new song " were greeting his ears, and the 
" many mansions " were coming in full view. 

S. A. C. 





CHAPTER XV. 



Home Life of the Bethel Pastor. 



BY PHEBE A. HANAFORD. 






Y acquaintance with the departed Phin- 
eas Stowe and his Bethel Work was 
somewhat limited, but I am able to 
testify to the sweetness of his home life, and the 
cordiality of his great soul, which made every 
one feel "at home" with him. In 1849 I ^ vst 
looked upon his pleasant countenance, always 
speaking forth the benevolence of his heart. 
Then he had come to my native island to per- 
form the marriage ceremony for his old-time 
schoolmate (in New Hampton Institution) and 
myself. He won all hearts, and to this day 
Nantucket people who met him then, almost a 
quarter of a century since, hold his genial, hearty 
greetings and his pleasant conversations in happy 
and vivid remembrance. 

152 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 53 

As years rolled on, I was often a visitor at his 
home at No. 8, Baldwin Place, Boston, and always 
found him the same sympathizing, helpful spirit, 
looking beyond all clouds of earth to the Sun of 
Righteousness, and striving to help others do the 
same. I well remember how, on one occasion in 
1850, he asked me if I had learned the names of 
my pupils in Newton Upper Falls, and when I 
despairingly said, " No," he bade me not be dis- 
heartened ; and in a fortnight afterwards, when I 
reported to him that out of the eighty-four little 
ones there were only a few strangers left, he said, 
with that lighting up of his face which so many 
will remember, " Now you can understand the 
force of the Saviour's words, ' He calleth his own 
sheep by name ; ' " and never since that hour have 
I read the tenth chapter of John without recalling 
that day and his words. 

At that time he was busy preparing a new 
edition of " Ocean Melodies," and also editing a 
bjok of " Temperance Melodies," and he invited 
me to write for both. This led to many conver- 
sations, when we were in his home, concerning 
temperance, the sailor and his trials, and the art 
of rhyming. He did not pretend to be a poet, 



154 PH1NEAS STOWE 

but it was to him a great joy to rhyme, and he 
did this with so much genuine kindness that his 
rhymes were felt to be acceptable, even where 
the Muse halted in her stately tread. 

As one listened to him in the privacy of home, 
talking of his efforts among seamen, it was man- 
ifest that he cherished everywhere the same spirit 
of unbounded love for his work, and thorough 
interest in his fellow-men. One could hardly 
help being interested in temperance, and in the 
mariner, who sat long in his cosy study or pleas- 
ant parlor. His home had always an attraction 
to me. The first Mrs. Stowe was some years my 
senior (being three years older than her husband), 
and was so kind and motherly, that their home 
was attractive to all. A little like Martha of old, 
she was "careful and troubled about many 
things ; " yet she was so helpful, so earnest in 
practical piety, that his home-life was full of 
blessing, and his faithful companion gladly as- 
sisted him in his glorious work of saving souls. 
Her sudden death I felt as a personal grief; for I 
had seen her but a short time before in apparent 
health, and we always maintained the most kindly 
relations. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 55 

The years rolled on, and another became his 
companion. Then, as I felt, the rose-bloom of 
his life appeared. His first years were those of 
struggle, and his first wife was one admirably fit- 
ted to encourage and struggle with him ; but his 
later years were those of brightness, and though 
he labored earnestly, he did not have the same 
struggle. There was more time to enjoy his 
home, and more home to enjoy ; for his young 
wife brought the romance of her devoted love to 
cheer his heart and brighten his path. Little 
children clustered about him, and his heart was 
overflowing with gladness. His home-life seemed 
perfect ; but it could not last ; for the clouds 
gathered, the storms came. One by one, his 
little ones went to the better land ; sickness pros- 
trated often the wife whose smiles welcomed his 
returning footsteps ; but the bitterest stroke of 
calamity came when Helen, with her husband, 
found a death by shipwreck, and a far-off grave. 
One who did not know him might have feared 
the result. But he met the loving Father's chas- 
tisement with a trust that never faltered. 
Calmly, though through tears, he said, and acted, 
" Thy will be done." And still serenely flowed 



156 PHINEAS ST OWE 

the river of that home-life. Blest with a loving 
nature, he could not be otherwise than faithful 
and affectionate as a husband ; kind and indul- 
gent to his children, yet seeking to train them in 
" the nurture and admonition of the Lord ; " ever 
aiming to exemplify what he proclaimed, that the 
marriage relation is sacred, that parental ties are 
heaven-born, that the Christian home on earth is 
a type of heaven. 

Pleasant memories ever cluster about his home. 
I always enjoyed it, but it had a peculiar charm 
when one nearer my own age, and of more sim- 
ilar tastes, became its presiding genius, and, if 
space allowed, could furnish pages describing 
happy seasons spent with these congenial spirits. 
Two scenes I will mention : one where a poor 
inebriate, suddenly struck with a sense of his sin, 
came with a friend to take the temperance pledge. 
Standing in the- centre of the parlor, before the 
trembling penitent, who also stood, the eloquence 
of the soul was uttered in fervent words by 
Brother Stowe as he administered the pledge, 
accompanied by the gift of a Testament, charged 
the man to keep his solemn promise, and then 
prayed with him. By the time the impressive 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 57 

ceremony was over, and the man had departed, 
all were in tears. 

On another well-remembered, happy evening, I 
sat with a lady friend in the parlor at Brother 
Stowe's, when he entered, weary and worn. It 
was late, and soon the hour for devotions arrived. 
Sitting in his large chair, with his eyes closed, 
and his face serene and reverent, he repeated in 
a most impressive manner the beautiful twenty- 
third psalm ; and_ then we all knelt, and he 
poured out his soul in a prayer that was not so 
much supplication as communion. His soul had 
companionship with God in prayer, and at home 
and abroad his " fellowship was with the Father, 
and with his Son, Jesus Christ." 

He was as faithful in his calling as a minister, 
to fallen women, as to fallen men ; and it is with 
no little pleasure that I recall a visit with him 
and other friends to the Quincy Home for the 
Friendless — an institution he founded to benefit 
the friendless ones just starting on a vicious 
course. It was my first conscious sight of such 
a class of women, and I was deeply interested, 
and, on my return, wrote the following lines 
about 



Is8 PHINEAS ST OWE 



THE MIDNIGHT MEETING. 

'Twas ten at night, and I, with weary feet, 

My steps turned towards a new and blest retreat, 

Where sin-cursed womanhood might find a friend, 

And sinful man a kind and helping hand, — 

Where those who homeless walked the midnight round, 

A home, and a Redeemer too, had found. 

My heart rejoiced then, with a gospel faith, 

In the great fatherhood of one who saith, 

"Go feed my lambs, my wandering sheep, O feed! 

And all the sinful to my fountain lead." 

In the wide brotherhood of man, once made 

In God's own image, 'neath the Eden shade, 

My heart rejoiced; and from my weary eyes 

Sleep fled away ; and, with a sweet surprise, 

I listened to the voice of one who long 

Had sung, in cadence sweet, the gospel song, 

And heard him tell, in tones the angels know, 

The love of God to sinners here below; 

And then, responsive, heard the voices clear 

Of some vice-rescued, blood-washed sinners there, 

In grateful accents praising God and man 

Who this great work for fallen ones began. 

The moments sped; the midnight hour drew nigh, 

The midnight stars reached their meridian high ; 

The moments sped; but still we lingered there, 

And holy song and words of hope and prayer 

Filled the blest hours till homeward turned our feet; 

And, the glad measure of surprise complete, 

We blessed the Home for friendless ones and lone, 

And felt that God the enterprise would own, 

Would bless the laborers in their work of love, 

And aid their toil with unction from above, 

Till the lost spirits of that region find 

A shelter in the Friend of all mankind. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 159 

The last time I looked upon this sunny-faced 
apostle was in the streets of Boston, as he was 
hastening to his happy home — the place where 
he usually threw off care, and was playful and 
affectionate in word and spirit, as if only in his 
youth, making all hearts around him to rejoice in 
his approach and in his stay. We had time for 
only a few words ; but his last charge to me was, 
to save all the souls I could. God help me to 
heed his apostolic words, and be, like him, " full 
of faith and of the Holy Ghost." 




CHAPTER XVI. 



A Reminiscence. 



BY REV. GEO. W. GARDNER, D. D. 



j 



WELL remember Brother Stowe when 
he was a student in New Hampton, 
N. H., and supplied the pulpit of the 
Baptist Church in Danbury. I was a boy then, 
and the warmth and earnestness of his manner 
deeply impressed me. He was frequently at my 
father's house, and always most welcome. Was 
there ever a house in which he had been once, in 
which he was not ever after a welcome guest ? 
Well, years passed on. He came to Boston, and 
I grew to manhood. For many years, during my 
own student life, I did not see him at all. When 
I came to Charlestown, as pastor, he was one to 
recognize me as one of " his boys ; " and he had 
a good many such on the land and the -sea. For 
years we worked together, side by side. My 

1 60 



AND BETHEL WORK. l6l 

church was a constant friend of the Bethel. The 
little church in Danbury were about to re-dedicate 
their house of worship, after removal and repairs. 
Brother Stowe and myself were both invited to be 
present, and take part in the service. It was 
more than twenty years since he left, and he had 
never been back. Things had changed. People 
had changed. He had changed. But Christ had 
not changed, and his cause in Danbury was still 
dear to the heart of the early pastor. Brother 
Stowe went up on the evening train the night be 
fore the proposed service. It^was nearly eleven 
o'clock when the conductor called out, " Danbury." 
Brother Stowe got out. He was in a new place. 
The Danbury of his student-pastorate had no 
railroad, no depot, no village there. The hush 
and stillness of the country, so different from the 
city, fell on his tired ears like a benediction from 
God. 

He inquired the way to his old friend's — a 
brother in the church. It was nearly three miles 
away. He walked the distance in the sweet 
moonlight, and as he drew near to the old, famil- 
iar farm-house, just as white, just as quiet and 
inviting, with just the same soft carpet of green 
II 



1 62 PHINEAS ST OWE 

around it, as in the days gone by, — he told me 
this the next day, — the past came back again ; 
he seemed to be young again ; he was a student 
from New Hampton, come over of a Saturday 
night to preach the next day ; and so he stepped 
quietly on the piazza, and at midnight, standing 
close by the bed-room window, he sang, — 

"Home again, home again," — 

and with the melody of his voice, — and whose 
voice had more of heavenly melody in it ? — he 
wakened the sleepers, the bolted door opened, and 
he said, — 

" Good evening, brother M . Did you ever 

know Phineas Stowe ?" " O, yes, yes ! and I do 
now. Come in, come in. Is it possible ? " — and 
the gray and worn seaman's chaplain was a stu- 
dent-preacher again, resting in the prophet's 
chamber on the wall. 

Brother Stowe loved just such surprises, just 
such transitions from the present to the past. In 
fact, he never grew old at all. His heart was al- 
ways young, and so it " shall live forever." I 
shall never forget the fervor of his words on the 
next day, when he spoke of the times of his early 



AND BETHEL WORK. 



163 



work. He was almost translated. His face did 
shine. His words were all afire. His whole soul 
was aglow with a heavenly light. He was in an 
ecstasy. But it was among the last flashes of his 
earthly brightness. Not very long after the star 
faded into day. 




CHAPTER XVII. 



Mr. Stowe's Last Bethel Circle. 



BY MRS. L. S. GOODWIN. 



"Lord, keep my memory green. 




HERE was weeping from the clouds that 
day — October 21, 1868 — the noise- 
less effusion of a woe deep and dark. 
But in the upper heavens, whither no sorrow 
gravitates, the living sunshine was joyful with 
notes of preparation. Ministering angels, gaz- 
ing earthward, attuned a harp for hands about 
to be eased of earthly burdens, and wake its 
golden chords with never-ending hallelujahs. 
We, who may have reproached Nature for lack 
of sympathy with our griefs, should in that hour, 
while our hearts were beating with hope and our 
faces glowing with cheerfulness, have heard her 
mournful, " Could ye not watch with me ? " No 
throes of her travail rent the veil which hid the 

164 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 65 

future from our eyes, or mercy had been less 
merciful. 

The new parsonage in Salem Street had been 
opened, and this first reception there of the 
Ladies' Circle was anticipated as a peculiarly 
pleasant and congratulatory occasion. Phineas 
Stowe's doors always opened wide, like his heart, 
to all who came. Friend and stranger felt not 
merely welcome, but bidden. 

Sombre as all without continued, there was 
still no lack of guests. Every one knows how 
boldly a Boston audience will defy the weather. 
It was understood that the pastor had arrived at 
home' that morning greatly fatigued. Later in 
the afternoon he came from his study, his 
hallowed countenance haggard, and upon him 
the shadow of a profound and most unusual de- 
pression, creating around him, as it were, an im- 
penetrable solitude. One intimately associated 
with the Bethel cause received from him an 
apostolic kiss, with the words, " I am so full of 
love to every human being ! " yet for the most 
part he rather responded to than offered greeting, 
his air of absentness meanwhile filling the as- 
sembly with a nameless surprise and pain. It 



1 66 PHJNEAS ST OWE 

could not appear strange, however, when one 
reasoned upon it, that Mr. Stowe was unlike him- 
self. He had left New York the evening previ- 
ous, after having, instead of improving the fur- 
lough his church had urged upon him for recruit- 
ing his exhausted physical forces, dashed into 
the fore-front of that memorable battle with sin 
in Water Street. He had passed an agonizing 
night, walking the steamer's deck as she ploughed 
the seething Sound, and his condition might be 
only the natural result of over-exertion and 
sleeplessness. 

As day declined and twilight stole on before 
the time, the President of the Circle, Miss M. V. 
Ball, announced the customary religious exercises. 
In compliance with her request that he would 
conduct the same, Mr. Stowe seated himself mid- 
way of the parlors, his right hand resting on an 
unopened Bible upright on his knee. Then, with 
shut eyes and raised face, he read out of memory, 
in tones exceedingly impressive and tender, — 

" The Lord is my shepherd ; I shall not want. 
" He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ; 
he leadeth me beside the still waters. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 67 

" He restoreth my soul ; he leadeth me in the 
paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

" Yea, though I walk through the valley of the 
shadow of death, I will fear no evil ; for tJwu art 
with me ; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 

" Thou preparest a table before me in the 
presence of mine enemies ; thou anointest my 
head with oil ; my cup runneth over. 

" Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 
all the days of my life ; and I will dwell in the 
house of the Lord forever." 

Kneeling in prayer, he unburdened his full 
heart for the cause always dearest to it, — the 
Bethel, — pleading also for convicted sinners in 
that terrible den of infamy he had visited in an- 
other city, as if each soul were his friend or broth- 
er, and out of the depths of his sense of unworthi- 
ness exalting God's goodness to himself. The 
comforts of the new home were weighing upon his 
mind overpoweringly. Especially the carpets, 
which had been the gift of the ladies, distressed 
him with doubts lest they were an unholy in- 
dulgence. "Carpets," he was heard to murmur, 
in passing through the parlors previously, — "car- 



1 68 PHINEAS ST OWE 

pets to tread upon, and my blessed Lord had not 
where to lay his head." One distinctly remem- 
bered petition was, that if these luxuries of life 
were to have the effect of drawing away his 
thoughts from the great work to be done, then in 
mercy might they be taken from him. Frequent- 
ly in the course of his prayer his feelings over- 
came him, so that his utterances were sobbed 
forth in brokenness of spirit that moved other 
hearts to pain, and eyes to sympathetic tears. 

Neither the gas-lights nor the arrival of the 
male friends, including three or four clergymen, 
was able wholly to dispel the gloom of the place. 
Even supper failed to create that delightful socia- 
bility wont to exist where Phineas Stowe presided. 
After this he spoke, somewhat disconnectedly, of 
his marriage, of the share Mrs. Stowe had faith- 
fully borne in his labors, of the lightning of grace 
which had descended on "the wickedest man 
in New York" and his associates. His descrip- 
tion, thrilling in itself, became almost terrible 
from the earnestness he threw into it. He told 
how his own coming had been hailed as a help 
of the Lord against the mighty, and intimated — 
with that mysterious vulture of despair now 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 69 

plucking at his spirit — that here at home the 
interest with which he had so long stood identi- 
fied was not appreciated. In response to the 
closing remark, a clergyman immediately stepped 
forward and grasped his hand, endeavoring in 
affectionate speech to reassure his brother Stowe 
that the Baptist churches in and around Boston 
were not wanting in interestedness for the Bethel. 
Mr. Stowe shook his head in disbelief and de- 
spondency which nothing could dissipate. It was 
at this juncture, the impending evil beginning to 
be more defined, that a Boston pastor, who loved 
Mr. Stowe and was beloved by him, whispered, 
with a gesture of fear, " Poor Phineas, his reason 
totters." A half-breathed suggestion of this fact 
to Mrs. Stowe elicited the cheerful reply, " O, I 
have seen him in this way before ; he is only 
worn out, and needing rest. Give him to me for 
one week, and he will be all right again." 

Later in the evening the sisters Ball played 
and sang. Every person at all familiar with Mr. 
Stowe must have observed what a medium of 
worship music always was to him ; how he de- 
lighted in it, and what a celestial gift he pos- 
sessed. I have known him propose to " sing two 



170 PHINEAS STOWE 

verses," and lead on to the tenth in rapt fervor. 
On this occasion it was awe-inspiring to stand 
beside him, where he had drawn close to the 
piano, listening to Pierpont's beautiful poem of 
" Jerusalem," and watch his uplifted face, the 
lids pressing from his eyes the tears which rolled 
down his cheeks, and hear him again and again, 
in the interludes, whisper, as if the heavens verily 
were opened to his vision, " Blessed Saviour ! 
Blessed Saviour ! " Who, indeed, could think 
upon these sentiments unmoved ? 

"The Garden of Gethsemane! 

Those aged olive trees 
Are shading jet, and in their shade 

I would have sought the breeze 
That, like an angel, bathed the brow, 

And bore to heaven the prayer 
Of Jesus, when in agony 

He sought the Father there. 

"I would have gone to Calvary, 
And where the Marys stood 
Bewailing loud the Crucified, 
As near him as they could; 
I would have stood till night o'er earth 

Her heavy pall had thrown, 
And thought upon my Saviour's cross, 
And learned to bear my own I " 

Probably, after all, few left the house with even 



AND BETHEL WORK. \*]\ 

a distant foreboding of the sad event, the mysteri- 
ous dispensation, which within three weeks from 
the time made it necessary to convey Mr. Stowe 
to an asylum. When the blow had fallen, we 
remembered these things, and understood their 
significance. So entirely one with the Bethel 
cause had Mr. Stowe been, that his heart-throbs 
seemed essential to its life. From near and far, 
on land and over the sea's expanse, arose a 
lamentation : We trusted it had been he who 
should have redeemed this Israel. Blinded by 
sorrow, none could foresee how God would raise 
up a man to fill the vacant place and carry for- 
ward the work from which he rested, having laid 
himself on the sacrificial altar and been accepted. 
Mr. Stowe himself shared this idea when once 
overheard in wrestling prayer to God that, " for 
the sake of the Bethel," his reason might be 
spared. 

Few men have been so entirely emptied of self, 
and filled with love to a perishing world, — eaten 
up with the zeal of God's house, — as Phineas 
Stowe. While the Bethel was the centre of his 
affections and his exertions, no locality and.no 
class of immortals was too remote or too degraded 



172 PHINEAS STOWE 

to be embraced by his loving sympathies and his 
self-abnegating help. Servant of the Lord, ap- 
pointed to cross the river through a covered 
bridge, that the light into which he should emerge 
might appear more glorious, his works do follow 
him. 

The following was read by Mrs. Abbie C. 
Shipley, treasurer of the Ladies' Bethel Society, 
at its first meeting after Mr. Stowe's decease : — 

In Memoriam. 

We meet to-day a stricken band of mourners ; 
for that beloved friend who was ever, in our 
minds, identified with the cause for which we 
labor, whose voice was wont to lead us in prayer 
and praise, whose hopeful spirit was our inspira- 
tion to each renewed effort for the good of sea- 
men, no longer moves among us, and gives to 
each a genial word of love and recognition. He 
has gone from his earthly sphere of labor, from 
the " mighty work " he had to do on earth, to ful- 
fil his Master's will in that brighter and happier 
land where service brings not toil or weariness 



AND BETHEL WORK. 173 

to the spirit, relieved from the clogging restraints 
and weaknesses of the fleshly tabernacle. 

And it is surely befitting us, at our first meet- 
ing after his departure, for a moment to recall his 
connection with our society, and ask ourselves 
how we may best continue the work to which his 
maturest years were given. Especially is this 
the case when we remember that he was in real- 
ity the originator of this society. Although pre- 
viously to his undertaking the ministry to seamen 
in this city, one or two ladies' societies had been 
formed for the benefit of seamen among the Bap- 
tists, these were comparatively local, being com- 
posed mostly of ladies from the Baldwin Place 
Church. The design of forming a society which 
should embrace members from all the churches 
of the denomination in Boston and vicinity, and 
prove an efficient aid to him in the cause to 
which he had devoted his life, was his, and, com- 
municated by him to ladies who sympathized 
with him, resulted in the formation of this soci- 
ety, in the spring of 1846. From that time until 
our last meeting, which was held October 21, 
1868, at his own house, his interest in it never 
flagged ; he was ever in the habit of proposing to us 



174 PHINEAS ST OWE 

plans for greater usefulness and efficiency, and 
by his hopeful spirit encouraging us to undertake 
what perhaps some of us, of less hope and weaker 
faith, would have shrunk from, as involving heav- 
ier burdens than we could bear. If we have ac- 
complished any good in arousing interest in the 
cause of seamen, have aided it pecuniarily or 
otherwise, it is due to Mr. Stowe to acknowledge 
that these fruits grew upon the tree whose germ 
was cherished into life in his genial and sunny 
heart. We shall miss the inspiration of his holy 
zeal. But let us seek to follow in the path in 
which he so fully exemplified the truth of the 
apostle's teaching, " It is good to be zealously 
affected always in a good thing." 










CHAPTER XVIII. 



Closing Scenes. 




the closing scenes in Mr. Stowe's 
life it now becomes our sad duty to 
speak. Against the advice of friends 
he remained in the city during his last summer 
upon earth, constantly at work, until September. 
Then, leaving home to seek rest in change of 
scene and employment, he went to Pennsylvania, 
spent a few days there, and returned to New 
York, where he at once became intensely inter- 
ested and unnaturally excited in the daily prayer 
meetings that were then being held in Water 
Street. 

It was evident, upon his return home, that his 
mind was seriously diseased. There was such " a 
mighty work to do" for the masses in sin and 
ruin about him, that he rushed at once into a 
thousand half-formed schemes to save them. 

175 



176 PHINEAS STOWE 

It is not for us to say by what death we shall 
glorify God. Some may 

" Be carried to the skies 

On flowery beds of ease," 

while others, who are dear to Christ as the ap- 
ple of his eye, are led through a dark Gethsem- 
ane. They drink of the cup which Jesus drank, 
and are baptized with the baptism wherewith he 
was baptized. But they are not left to the power 
of the tempter. While they are crying, " This is 
the hour and the power of darkness," angels 
come and minister to them, and when the scene 
closes, bear them up 

"To the eternal home 

On whose portals yet they linger, 
Looking back for us to come." 

The clouds continued to gather darker and 
deeper about the spirit of this beloved ser- 
vant of God. He lost control of his words 
and his acts. Our wisest and kindest physi- 
cians insisted on his being removed to an asy- 
lum, for his own and others' safety, as well as 
in the lingering hope that he might yet, by judi- 
cious treatment, be restored to his family, to the 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 77 

church of God, and to the world whose sins and 
sorrows had crushed and broken his loving 
heart. But she, whose soul was bound by un- 
utterable ties to his, shrank from this decision. 
She believed that although reason was gone, she 
could yet control him by love. A promise made 
to him, in full faith, that he should never be 
taken from her, united with a strong desire to 
minister to him to the last, caused such agony 
as few of us have ever known, when her wishes 
and her judgment were overruled in the matter 
by those who had at heart the best interests of 
both. Through all the wanderings of reason, 
however, his heart was true to Christ. His work 
for souls had been a holy passion while living, 
and it was so now that he was dying. 

At length the clouds were scattered, the day 
dawned, and the shadows fled away. The fetters 
which had detained the pure spirit from the pres- 
ence of Him whom he loved were severed ; and 
he entered upon a higher and holier service than 
even that which had been his below ; — for where 
there was no service of love, there could be no 
heaven for him ! 



12 



178 PHINEAS ST OWE 

The day of his burial, November 16, 1868, was 
one of rare beauty. The mellow light of late au- 
tumn, and the crisp leaf that here and there lin- 
gered on the bare branches of the trees, told of 
gathered fruit and finished harvestings. But of 
the thousands congregated at this good man's fu- 
neral none sorrowed as those who have no hope. 
The brightness of the skies was a truthful augury 
of the glory and bliss into which the husbandman 
had entered, an earnest of which seemed written 
in the face, beautiful even in death. 

Eight sturdy seamen tenderly and reverently 
bore the body on a bier from Mr. Stowe's late 
residence to the church, which was filled, and 
closed to the public, an hour and a half before 
the time appointed for the obsequies. The streets 
adjoining the edifice were so densely thronged 
that travel was for some time suspended. Boston 
merchants generously contributed abundant ma- 
terials for draping the edifice, directing that the 
same be afterwards distributed among the poor. 
These emblems of sorrow bore such mottoes as 
these : " He judged the cause of the poor and 
needy;" "There is sorrow on the sea;" "We miss 
him ; " " Blessed is he that considereth the poor ; " 



AND BETHEL WORK. iyg 

"Jesus wept ; " and the pastor's last words, " I have 
a mighty work to do ! " The tears that fell from 
every eye were tokens of genuine grief, and the 
testimony borne by those who participated in the 
services found corroboration in every heart in 
that assembled multitude of mourners. 

After an organ voluntary and singing, Rev. S. 
W. Foljambe read from Revelation 14:13, "I 
heard a voice from heaven," &c. Prayer was of- 
fered by Rev. W. V. Garner, and Rev. L. A. 
Grimes read the hymn beginning, — 

" How blest the righteous when he dies ! " 

which was sung with great effect by the choir. 
Rev. R. H. Neale, D. D., sketched the life of the 
deceased, and his labors for the sailor, the sol- 
dier, the prisoner, and the inebriate. Rev. Baron 
Stow, D. D., and Rev. George W. Gardner, D. D., 
added touching reminiscences. Rev. D. C. Eddy, 
D. D., remarked that he knew of none in minis- 
terial circles more universally beloved than was he 
who had for twenty-four years labored in Boston 
for the welfare of the needy. Chaplain Carlton, 
of the State Prison, spoke of Mr. Stowe's interest 
in the convicts there. Rev. J. D. Fulton, D. D., 



180 PHINEAS ST OWE 

suggested the appropriateness of a monument, 
and expressed the hope that the mantle of the 
dear departed would fall on a worthy successor. 
Rev. O. T. 'Walker and Rev. Charles Cleveland 
moved the audience with their words of sympathy 
and love. The latter, bending with the weight 
of nearly a hundred years, looked longingly for- 
ward to the meeting, which has since taken place, 
in that better country, even a heavenly. Each 
speaker emphasized the virtues of his honored 
associate and the importance of the work which 
he accomplished, — not forgetting, however, the 
grace of God, which, through a long and con- 
sciously defective ministry, had ever abounded 
towards him, and by which alone he looked for 
final salvation. 

When the vast throng separated, the aged, the 
young, the wealthy, and the poor, each seemed to 
utter but this sentiment, — that while earth had 
lost one of the most devoted of laborers from its 
field of toil, heaven had gained one whom Jesus 
had welcomed with the joyful salutation, " Well 
done, good and faithful servant." 

The remains were taken to his native town, 
Milford, Conn., and laid in the family burial- 



AND BETHEL WORK. l8l 

ground with the dust of parents and children, 
brothers and sisters. An obelisk of white marble 
marks the spot, which may be seen by the travel- 
ler passing by rail between New York and Bos- 
ton, while the waves of the Sound ripple along 
the neighboring beach, soothing, as it were, the 
rest of the dead. 

There he lies by the sea he loved so well, and 
for the welfare of whose sons he literally " burned 
to ashes a noble brain," counting not his life dear 
to him in bringing home many that should share 
with him the everlasting rewards of heaven. 





CHAPTER XIX. 
Memories and Tributes. 

OMETIMES the best view of a man 
may be obtained from those fugitive 
glimpses which are enjoyed by stran- 
gers. The wayside life is often crowded with 
incidents and utterances which open the door of 
the real life, and let us look in and see the man 
as he is in his unguarded moments. Hence the 
following reminiscences will exhibit the lights and 
shadows of a life full of flashes, and inspirations, 
and impulses. 

Rev. J. C. Foster, who knew Mr. Stowe while 
he was a student at New Hampton, and who was 
his life-long friend, having kept up an acquaint- 
ance with him during his arduous work in Bos- 
ton, writes, — 

" My recollections of Rev. Phineas Stowe ex- 
tend back to 1839, when I became acquainted 

182 



AND BETHEL WORK. 183 

with him as a daily associate in studies pre- 
paratory to the work of the gospel ministry, 
and soon came to regard him very highly for 
his geniality, courtesy, and true piety. He 
was eminently companionable and agreeable, 
the life of every circle in which he was found, 
and the beloved of all ' who knew him. En- 
emies he could hardly have ; disliked he could 
hardly be by any whose hand he could once grasp. 
His presence was a pleasant inspiration, and all 
with whom he mingled were almost sure to be 
happier, and could hardly fail to be better, by 
reason of intercourse with him. In no place 
more than in the prayer meetings was he always 
welcomed for his remarkable earnestness and 
fervidness, his promptness and aptness, which 
gave a most desirable character to the exercises, 
which were sure to be both interesting and profit- 
able if he were present, as he was accustomed to 
be, as one ever ready to take a prominent, though 
not obtrusive part in heart-stirring utterances, 
soul-lifting prayers, together with his enrapturing 
singing, in which he excelled. If he did nothing 
but sing, he did much, for he sang as few could 
sing in the place of prayer. 



1 84 PHINEAS ST OWE 

" For two years or more I thus enjoyed his soci- 
ety, with increasing* pleasure, steadily prizing 
more and more his invaluable companionship as 
that of an endeared friend and a fondly cher- 
ished Christian brother. And ever afterwards, 
till his death, I was familiar with his worth and 
work, his activity and zeal, his benevolence and 
devotedness, his toil and success. It was my 
privilege to visit him repeatedly at the place of 
one of his earlier pastoral settlements, there to 
see him in his own home, where I found him the 
same cheerful, hopeful, and energetic worker that 
he bade fair to be in the days of his student-life. 
Subsequently I was often at his house in Boston, 
and he was occasionally at mine in Beverly, as we 
exchanged visits, calls, and pulpits ; and in various 
ways I came in frequent contact with him, as he 
untiringly prosecuted his great and grand life-work 
in connection with the Bethel cause in the city 
where so much was accomplished by him for the 
sailor, the fallen, and the victim of many a wrong. 

" Few of my brethren in the ministry have 
I known so well as Phineas Stowe, and my 
prolonged and intimate acquaintance with him 
served to increase my respect for him, and my 



AND BETHEL WORK. 185 

appreciation of his excellence and usefulness. 
Largely did he share, as he well deserved, my es- 
teem and love, as a true man, a sincere Christian, 
a devoted minister, and an efficient worker in the 
Master's vineyard, where he was singularly dis- 
tinguished for his great and good undertakings, 
and for his almost marvellous achievements. 

" His was a noble career of Christian philanthro- 
py, and his name is worthy of honorable record 
for the ' work of faith, and labor of love, and pa- 
tience of hope/ in which he persisted, with great- 
er and better results than can be shown at the 
close of most men's lives. He abounded in most 
unselfish service for God and humanity, and his 
works do follow him ; so that ' he, being dead, 
yet speaketh.' " 

Rev. E. Edmunds, of the Christian Church, 
who was a fellow-laborer with Mr. Stowe in the 
temperance cause, standing shoulder to shoulder 
with him in various reforms, writes, — 

" Over thirty years ago I came to Boston to 
minister to a small society, among whom I have 
continued until the present time. Soon after this, 
Brother Stowe became the pastor of the Baptist 



1 86 PHINEAS ST OWE 

Bethel Church, then worshipping in a hall at the 
North End. He had been here but a short time 
before we became acquainted, and that acquaint- 
ance ripened into a sacred friendship, which grew 
stronger and stronger until the day of his death. 

" Not only had we pleasant exchanges, but often 
in our missionary work, among the poor and the 
fallen, our fellowship and interchange of feeling 
were sweet and refreshing. Especially were* our 
sympathy and co-operation very deep and mutual 
in the temperance cause. Never was there a 
truer worker, and a more generous, whole-souled 
leader, in the temperance army. 

" Also, on Sunday school anniversaries and 
other occasions, we were frequently favored with 
his inspiring presence and earnest words. When- 
ever it was announced that Brother Phineas Stowe 
was to be with us, there would always be a full 
attendance. A new life seemed poured upon us, 
and it would often continue for weeks. There was 
a peculiar charm, yea, more, a spiritual inspiration, 
in his presence, voice, and manner ; while his 
doctrine and influence were Christ-like, hum- 
bling, and yet elevating. 

" Always full of love for seamen and lands- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 187 

men, for rich and poor, white and black, he 
almost always had some new thought, fact, or 
plan for doing good. Never gloomy, never dis- 
couraged. Like the sailor he could tack ship, or 
strike out on a new course or plan for saving 
souls, at any moment, if need be. And like a 
wise and brave general he could organize a new 
mode of attacking the enemy along the lines of 
sin and intemperance better than almost any 
other man. If, sometimes, his plans seemed too 
numerous, and almost chimerical, yet, in the 
end, he almost always carried the day, took the 
citadel, or scaled the walls and planted the gos- 
pel banner in the midst of the enemy's ramparts. 
He saw more real success, won more souls to 
Christ, and tore down the strongholds of Satan 
to a greater extent, than almost any other soldier 
on the field. 

"All denominations loved him, and all portions 
of the community felt that a live man was in our 
midst, doing valiant service for the Master, and 
often doing work, too, that few would dare to 
attempt. 

" Phineas Stowe and Father Mason, for years, 
were the leaders and embodiment of the most 



1 88 PHINEAS STOWE 

earnest and aggressive gospel work done in the 
city of Boston. 

" Mr. Stowe's death was regarded as a pub- 
lic loss. The rich and poor, the high and low, 
alike mourned the death of this good man. His 
funeral exceeded anything I have seen in the 
city, in deep, heartfelt mourning over a private 
citizen, in a universal feeling of sympathy among 
all classes, and in largeness of numbers. Indeed, 
it seemed an ovation to departed worth. Never 
shall I forget the funeral of dear Brother Stowe. 
God bless his memory to us all." 



Dr. J. H. Hanaford, who was well acquainted 
with Mr. Stowe in his school days, and in his af- 
ter years, furnishes the following tender words : — 

" Phineas Stowe still lives ! inspiring a love for 
the sailor, and for suffering humanity everywhere. 
Though the cause of seamen was his specialty, 
he was not the sailor's friend alone, but longed 
to ' be about his Father's business ' always. The 
writer knew him as a student at New Hampton, 
and was intimate with him till his death. So in- 
tent was he in winning souls to Christ, that he 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 89 

spent in mission work and preaching more time 
than theological students usually do. 

" Though ardently devoted to the ministry, he 
evidently did not reach his true sphere until he 
entered on Bethel work, into which he put all the 
powers of his expansive soul. His versatile tal- 
ents adapted him to. this vocation. His congre- 
gation comprised men of every nationality and 
every grade of culture. In the same sanctuary 
were gathered men of different tastes, aims, and 
social standing, yet on a common level, and around 
a common friend. They all looked to Mr. Stowe 
as a brother and a counsellor — one who cared 
for their physical wants as well as their spiritual 
needs, and who was ever ready with consolation 
and with aid. 

" He induced thousands to sign the pledge, 
which was solemnly administered, accompanied 
with the gift of a Testament and kind admonition. 
Hungry men were fed by his bounty, the naked 
were clothed, the dissipated rescued from haunts 
of vice, the friendless saved from ' landsharks/ 
and the homeless provided with temporary abodes 
and employment. His warm heart yearned over 



190 PHIJSTEAS ST OWE 

the woes of the erring and the ruin of the vicious. 
None were turned coldly away, for he loved the 
eouls of the neglected. 

" Vast numbers were rescued by him from a life 
of intemperance and vice. Many who owe to him, 
under God, their earthly all, will testify to his 
fidelity in the day when the secrets of all hearts 
are revealed. These testimonies will be a grander 
monumental witness than the granite shaft on 
Bunker's Hill. All who have, with the writer, 
shared this brother's friendship, will agree that 
their respect and love increased more and more 
with the lapse of time, standing, as he did, a 
marked type of the Christian Gentleman." 



Rev. Charles M. Smith, who has gathered up 
a bundle of fragrant leaves to lay upon the tomb 
of his father's friend, writes, — 

" A diamond, viewed from any point, is beauti- 
ful. No less is a good man. 

" We cannot recall some persons without being 
reminded of that which is lovely. Precious mem- 
ories are awakened, making joyous the heart and 



AND BETHEL WORK. 19 1 

redolent the mind, as birds fill the air with mel- 
ody, and flowers diffuse their fragrance. 

" It is better that the flowers come, please the 
eye, gratify the sense, and then fade and disap- 
pear, than not come at all. Better, far better, 
that the good come to us, rendering our homes 
happy, life sweet, living to bless the world, and 
then leave us, than not come at all. We can 
thank God for the presence, ay, the thought, of 
some men. A life should be such that at its close 
all who have witnessed it shall have reason to 
mourn. 

" One may so endear himself, by a useful career, 
that people would as soon yield their own lives as 
part with him. Such never die. We may see 
them no more ; years intervene ; wonderful events 
occur ; but, like angels, they come to tranquillize 
and bless. One may be missed because of the 
burden he bore, or, as an article of furniture, on 
account of the place he occupied ; better if the 
burden speaks of a willing hand, and the vacant 
chair of a loving heart. 

" The powers of the mind and the sympathies of 
the heart do not germinate and unfold out of 
place. Each person, like each particle of matter, 



192 PHINEAS STOWE 

is related to the whole. Responsibility adheres 
to us all ; we can ascend no height above it, nor 
descend to any depth below it. Opportunities of 
usefulness, like fountains of water, are within the 
reach of all ; but, alas ! many bear not the cup, 
and fill it for the thirsty. 

" My mind reverts to childhood days, and my 
father's house, and from the shades of the past 
a noble form emerges. 

" I distinctly recall my early impressions of 
Phineas Stowe. As a boy, he seemed to me un- 
like other men. My revered father loved him. 
Ministers of the same gospel were they ; their 
purposes one. 

" I thought him a good man, and that included 
much then. In my home his presence was ever 
welcome. Regarding him my father recently wrote 
me as follows : ' The last time we parted he kissed 
me, and held me by the hand, as if impressed 
that that was the final separation on earth, as 
it proved to be. Your mother went, soon after he 
left, into the room where he spent the night, and 
called me to see the tear-drops, in a wood-bottom 
chair, before which he evidently kneeled and 
prayed. Truly, he was one of ' the excellent of 
the earth/ 



AND BETHEL WORK. 193 

" I remember once asking the question, ' Fa- 
ther, are angels better than Mr. Stowe ? ' His 
reply was, ' Brother Stowe is a good man. My 
knowledge of angels is limited.' I saw in his ami- 
able, child-like manner ' the kingdom of heaven.' 
I heard in the sweet tones of his voice in prayer 
the melody of God. I felt in the grasp of his 
hand the power of goodness. The light that was 
in him, as the effulgence of the gem of gems, 
came from the Source of all light. We grasp 
the hand of one, and are conscious of no other 
contact, but realize an aversion, while there is a 
charm and sweetness in the very presence of 
another. 

" There is a contact of spirit. Brother Stowe 
touched the hearts of all. Such are able to ' do 
good like a medicine.' I weave not a garland, — 
others may more appropriately do this, — but bring 
as my tribute, to his sacred memory this simple 
wild flower, that budded years ago in my country 
home. 

" Stars may pass from view, but they never 
grow dim. The sun may disappear behind the 
distant hills, but it is shining still. Flowers may 
fade, but color is not lost. Leaves may fall ; the 



194 PHINEAS ST OWE 

tree does not die. ' Whosoever liveth and believ- 
eth in me shall never die.' 
" The Christian never dies." 



REV. PHINEAS STOWE. 

BY MISS M. V. BALL. 

A mighty man has fallen, 
Warrior to Israel dear! 

How fell he in the combat? 
Was it through doubt or fear? 

Nay! nay! this mighty warrior 
No doubt or fear could know; 

His armor was celestial, 
In strength abode his bow. 

The whispering winds of inland 
Have told it to the main, 

Where warriors pause in conflict, 
To weep — their leader slain. 

At morn, at noon, at midnight, 
His war-cry filled the air; 

While, like the seer on Carmel, 
He conquered hosts by prayer. 

God's chariot moveth ever 
Right onward ; as we gazed, 

It came and forward bore him : 
Who hath his mantle raised? 
January 7, 1S69. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 95 

IN MEMORIAM. — REV. PHINEAS STOWE. 

BY MRS. C. A. OGDEN. 

A star has faded from our sky! 

A sunbeam from life's weary way ! 
A worker, too, whose zeal so high 

Waned not with years, knew no decay. 
A noble soul has passed from earth, 
A glorious angel has its birth. 

Pastor beloved, his deeds will live 
In grateful hearts, from day to day, 

And ever sweet assurance give 
He has not wholly passed away. 

Yes, joyous thought, from care and pain, 

From sin redeemed, he lives again. 

Bring flowers, — evergreens, — and twine 

A garland for his virtues now; 
Ye cannot crown him, — Love Divine 

Has placed upon his saintly brow 
A diadem, whose stars shall tell 
Of earthly labors ended well. 

How sweet the memory of his voice 
In sacred song, in Christian love! 

Well may his tuneful soul rejoice 
In chanting praises now above, 

While we repeat the glad refrain, 

" He is not dead, he lives again." 

Bravely his work on earth was done, — 

Friend of the sailor, dearest, best! 
The Lord hath called his faithful one, 

"Enter, beloved, into rest." 
Noble and pure his life has been 
On earth — in heaven he lives again. 
Boston, November 13, 1S68. 



I96 PHINEAS ST OWE 

Rev. R. G. Toles, who was welcomed as a fel- 
low-laborer by Mr. Stowe, when the former came 
from New York to do a blessed work among the 
neglected children of Boston, gives his testimony. 
Mr. Stowe never had anything but " God speed " 
for anybody who was doing good, and Mr. Toles 
appreciatingly writes, — 

"We shall never forget the warm reception we 
received from Mr. Stowe on our first coming to 
Boston, and his enthusiastic indorsement of the 
work of saving the children. So fond was he of 
them, and from his oft-repeated advocacy of our 
cause, that many mistook him for the superin- 
tendent. Not long since, a lady remarked to us, 
' You lost a good man in your first superinten- 
dent, Mr. Stowe.' He had no narrow ideas, and 
rejoiced in every endeavor that saved humanity 
from the curse of sin. He remarked to me one 
day, ' You save the children from vice, and I will 
try, by God's help, to rescue those that have 
grown up in sin.' Residing near, he often called 
at the Home, giving words of advice to the older 
ones, and of love and encouragement to the 
younger, joining with them in a hearty laugh, 



AND BETHEL WORK. 197 

and for a moment engaging in their sports. This 
won all their hearts. His study window over- 
looked our yard, and fearing that their noisy play 
might disturb him, I called to ask if such was the 
case. ' O, no/ he said ; ' I can prepare a sermon 
better when they make the most noise, for I love 
to know they are happy/ He was frequently 
called upon to officiate at funerals at the Home, 
and no one was better adapted for such a service. 
Plain and earnest in his remarks, he always left a 
deep impression upon the children's minds. We 
greatly lamented his death, and his picture, which 
hangs in our parlor, often calls forth encomiums 
of praise upon his zeal, kindness of heart, and 
sincere endeavor to do good to all. He was em- 
phatically a friend to the friendless. Wherever 
humanity suffered, he sympathized ; always cheer- 
ful, hoping even against hope." 



Colonel Russell H. Conwell, who knew 
Mr. Stowe in his ripe manhood, and looked upon 
him with that respect and admiration which we 
are obliged to pay to real, unostentatious good- 
ness, says, — 



198 PHINEAS STOWE 

" ' I have a mighty work to do ! ' How those 
words thrill and inspire ! It may well be doubted 
if, in all the libraries of English literature, there 
can be found a more eloquent expression than 
that contained in these words. It concentrates 
volumes of human striving, longing, hoping, and 
achieving. I cannot rid myself of the thought 
which impressed me when our dear brother, the 
late Rev. J. D. Sweet, informed me of Mr. 
Stowe's death, and those dying words. I feel 
now, as I did then, that they were an echo from 
his youth. 

" Knowing him so well, I think they were 
rather a reminiscence than a project. The 
mighty present had overwhelmed him, and his 
mind started backward from the terrible tasks 
he was imposing upon it, and, wandering restless 
through the chambers of memory, it came again 
upon those startling words, and the lips repeated 
them as in his youth — ' I have a mighty work 
to do.' 

" That the thought expressed by them was the 
dearest theme of his boyhood and early man- 
hood, his life is convincing proof. No biography 
could contain a better illustration of a life well 



AND BETHEL WORK. 1 99 

planned and completed, or present a better ex- 
ample for the imitation of young men. 

'Greatness and goodness are not means, but ends; 
Hath he not alvvajs treasures, always friends, — 
The great, good man ? Three treasures — love, and light, 
And calm thoughts, regular as infant's breath; 
And three firm friends, more sure than day and night — 
Himself, his Maker, and the angel Death.' 

" Phineas Stowe's hopes were unfathomable, 
his zeal unabating, and yet the highest aspiration 
of his life was to be a great, good man. But 
even that ambition, in his later years, he left en- 
tirely to his God, sinking his personality so com- 
pletely at times that those most benefited by his 
labors hardly realized from whence their bless- 
ings came. Scrupulously honest amid all the 
temptations of youthful poverty ; earnestly indus- 
trious even when his work was wholly used for 
the enriching of others ; a close student when 
others of his age wasted their time in pleasure ; 
ill-treated, as he said to the writer, when those 
who ill-used him had every reason for kindness, — 
he exhibited his love for Jesus by work for man- 
kind. Making no pretensions to superior sanctity, 
and loving all men as himself, he toiled steadily 
on for the accomplishment of his ' mighty work/ 



200 PHINBAS STOWE 

as much greater than the schemes of a national 
diplomat, in its final effect, as" it was more God- 
like in its execution. 

" His life was a beautiful elucidation of the 
well-worn and established theory that a young 
man under the most adverse circumstances, with- 
out money, wealth, or social position, may be- 
come, if he will, a great, good man ; that he 
may comfort the widow, cause the orphan to 
smile, break the chains of the slave, heal the 
broken-hearted, teach the ignorant, encourage 
the downfallen, minister to the wounded, inspire 
to patriotism, and reach such greatness that his 
face shall remind men of their Saviour, and his 
words astonish and confound like those of the 
Mighty Father. The same power -which sus- 
tained him until the 'mighty work' was done, 
will again inspire and guard others who seek it, 
and especially such as are ambitious only to aid 
humanity and honor their God." 



The following tribute to the character of Mr. 
Stowe, from his brethren of the Ministerial Con- 
ference of Boston and vicinity, adopted in a 



AND BETHEL WORK. 201 

meeting at Tremont Temple, November 16, 1868, 
is selected from many of a similar nature sent to 
his family after his death, expressive of sympathy, 
and also bearing testimony to the worth of his 
Christian character, and the esteem in which he 
was held by the community. It is expressed 
with that peculiar delicacy for which its author, 
Rev. Baron Stow, D. D., was remarkable. 

" We have known our beloved brother and fel- 
low-laborer, Rev. Phineas Stowe, as a Christian 
of the higher type of practical godliness ; emi- 
nently spiritual and unselfish ; remarkable in his 
whole character for simplicity, transparency, and 
purity ; walking constantly and closely with God ; 
invariably faithful to every trust, domestic, social, 
ecclesiastical, ministerial. He gave proof that 
the whole law of God, the law of love, was writ- 
ten in his heart by the divine Spirit, who regen- 
erates and sanctifies. 

" We never had occasion to question his sin- 
cerity, or to suspect that in any utterance or ac- 
tion he was not thoroughly loyal to the right 
and the true. In speech, private and public, he 
was habitually evangelical ; in spirit, uniformly 



202 PHINEAS STOWE 

Christ-like ; he was ever tenderly regardful of all 
Christian proprieties. His charity was compre- 
hensive, without any compromise of principle, or 
any countenance of what he believed to be un- 
scriptural. All the facts apparent to our obser- 
vation justify us in pronouncing him ' a man of 
God, and an honorable man.' 

" We have known him as a laborer for Christ 
and the well-being of man, and have been witnesses 
of his concentration of thought, feeling, purpose, 
and activity upon the one end to which his life 
was intelligently consecrated. His record along 
a ministry of a full quarter of a century is unsul- 
lied. Beyond most others he resembled his well- 
studied Model, the adorable Master, who ' went 
about doing good." The glory of God in the sal- 
vation of the lost was his unvarying aim, and to 
the attainment of his object he devoted all his 
resources, faculties, and influence. He was ear- 
nest in his work, not sparing himself, thus occa- 
sioning many an apprehension and many a proph- 
ecy that he would sooner or later become a 
martyr to his zeal, burning out his vital forces in 
continuous, unwearied endeavors to do more than 
his capabilities would enable him long to execute. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 203 

At length the crisis came — not too soon for him 
— but, as men judge, too soon for the cause he 
indefatigably served. His rest is glorious. 

" His usefulness, seldom equalled, has been 
great, various, and wide-spread ; and though, from 
the nature of a large part of his service, he was 
not able to show anything like a collected aggre- 
gate of results, yet he was not without gratifying 
evidence that the fruits of his fidelity, however 
scattered over land and sea, were abundant. As 
to the large remainder, his ' record is on high.' 

" We lament his removal, and are perplexed by 
the question as to who can be found to supply 
the vacancy, and continue his example of personal 
excellence and serviceable Christian labor. Only 
the Lord of the harvest can provide a fitting suc- 
cessor." 

Touching Incident. 

Rev. R. H. Neale, D. D., writes, — 

" At the time of Mr. Stowe's decease, I called 
on a prominent mercantile firm, in Washington 
Street, from whose members he had often, when 
living, received aid in his many benevolent enter- 



204 PHINEAS ST OWE 

prises, and asked them if they would loan mate- 
rial for draping the Bethel Church, at his funeral. 
They replied, with much feeling, ' We will not 
loan it ; we will give it. Let it remain in che 
church as long as needed, and then distribute it 
among the poor of the neighborhood, as he 
would do.' 

"As I was leaving the store, with grateful 
tears, they called me back, and said, ' Mr. Neale, 
it is not right that we should monopolize this 
great privilege. Other firms, who knew and 
esteemed Mr. Stowe, would wish to share it with 
us.' One of their number went with me to these 
other firms, who contributed with equal readiness, 
and were evidently grateful to their friends for 
giving them this opportunity. I asked at the 
time, and have since repeated the request, that I 
might refer publicly to this generous and noble 
act ; but they have persistently refused, saying, 
' Do let us have the privilege of giving something 
to our friends without having it told of.' 

" I take the liberty, however, without their 
knowledge or consent, to give in this incident, 
and crave their pardon on the ground that I 
mention no names." 



AND BETHEL WORK. 205 

The Baptist Social Union, an association of 
laymen, was organized in Boston, in March, 1864. 
Its object was to encourage a more friendly 
and intimate relation among the laymen of the 
Baptist denomination. Among its warmest friends 
was the late Rev. Phineas Stowe, who, by his 
presence at the regular monthly meetings, identi- 
fied himself with its objects and interests, im- 
parting a deeper love and stronger zeal in the 
Master's work. During the first half of its his- 
tory there was hardly a meeting at which Mr. 
Stowe was not present. 

At its regular meeting held in the Meionaon, 
November 30, 1868, the following Resolutions 
were adopted and placed on the records : — 

"Resolved, That we recognize in the decease 
of Rev. Phineas Stowe a loss, to the church and 
ministry of Christ, of one who adorned his pro- 
fession, and faithfully fulfilled its responsibilities ; 
to the community, of a citizen whose broad chari- 
ty and earnest zeal have been consecrated to its 
spiritual and temporal welfare, with results of en- 
during good ; to the church who long enjoyed his 
ministrations, of a pastor who unweariedly and 



206 PHINEAS STOWE 

self-sacrificingly devoted his energies to their ser- 
vice ; to the family bereaved, of one whose life- 
work and example are their inestimable legacy ; to 
this organization, of one from their earthly fellow- 
ship whose cheerful countenance and pleasant 
utterances ever bespoke his genial and kindly 
nature. Those who were loved by him because 
loved by his Master — the poor, the friendless, 
the prisoner, the stranger from beyond the seas, 
and those who had much to be forgiven — these 
have lost a counsellor and friend, whom God had 
raised up for them, and whose place can only 
be filled by one of his choice and ordination. 

"Resolved, That while rehearsing the virtues 
and labors of the departed we. have cause for sor- 
row in his loss to the church and the world, we 
joyfully recognize a divine compensation in the 
evidence left to us, that the spirit of Christ is yet 
a living power in the membership of his church, 
and that the succession of his disciples, preaching 
the gospel, does not perish from the earth." 



AND BETHEL WORK. 20/ 



THE BETHEL PASTOR. 

BY HON. HENRY S. WASHBURN. 

The days were brief; upon the hills 
The parting smile of Autumn lay, 

When in his manhood's finished prime 
The Bethel pastor passed away. 

A reaper, weary with his toil, 

He rested by his gathered sheaves, 

When, bare and brown, the landscape wore 
The russet garb of faded leaves. 

The cricket sang a soothing strain, 
The robin lingered in the glen, 

And voices murmured as we passed, 
"We shall not see his like again." 

It was the hour of all the year 
For souls like his to pass away; 

To cast aside earth's cumbrous load, 
When all things whispered of decay. 

And so we laid him down to rest, 

And mourned with aching hearts our loss, 

And heaped the turf upon the breast 
Of this dear herald of the Cross. 

Since then the snow has sifted down, 

And Winter held his icy reign, 
While Spring returns, with bird and bee, 

To bless our northern homes again. 



208 PHINEAS ST OWE 

And thoughtful men, with muffled feet, 
Have in that sacred temple trod, 

Where the good shepherd long had lured 
Their footsteps to the throne of God; — 

And eyes unused to weep have shed 
Tears fast and free as April rain, 

And hardy sons of toil still say, 

" We ne'er shall see his like again." 

In many a home of sin and want, 
Where Sorrow bides, a pilgrim low, 

Have stricken hearts their blessings breathed 
On him who slept beneath the snow. 

And out upon the troubled sea, 

When lightnings flashed and tempests blew, 
The Christian pilot in the storm 

Has stood before the trembling crew, — 

And once more whispered, "Peace, be still! 

O, fearful hearts, behold thy Stay! 
His arm shall be thy strength and shield 

Through all the dangers of the way." 

Dear pilot, pastor, brother, friend ! 

Thou hadst " a mighty work to do ; " 
That work begun will never end, 

Though thou hast passed the Jordan through. 

And as thej' come, earth's conflicts o'er, 
For whom so long thy soul hath striven, 

What rapture, then, to welcome home 
The weary to the rest of heaven ! 



CHAPTER XX. 



Memorial Letters. 




ROM among many letters received from 
clergymen of different denominations, 
who knew and appreciated Mr. Stowe's 
worth in the evangelization of the world to Christ, 
we insert one from Rev. Jonathan Brace, D. D. 

" Hartford, Conn., April 12, 1869. 
" . . When I was installed as pastor of the 
First ConsresraUonal Church of Milford, Connec- 

DO ' 

ticut, September 24, 1845, there were none among 
my new parishioners who gave me a more hearty 
welcome than the family of Sheriff (since Govern- 
or) Charles H. Pond. The perusal of a memoir 
of a member of the family, then recently de- 
ceased, Charles Pond, an only son, had deeply 
interested me in them, and I was prepared to 
anticipate much pleasure and profit from their 
society. In this I was not disappointed. Their 

209 



210 PHINEAS STOWB 

home was an inviting place to visit, and I went 
there often and tarried long. 

" One of the festive occasions in which I re- 
joiced with them was the marriage of the young- 
est daughter, S. Augusta, and Rev. Phineas 
Stowe, at which I officiated. A native of Mil- 
ford, though then a resident of Boston, it seemed 
meet that he should take a wife from among his 
own people, and it was here that my acquaint- 
ance with him commenced. He was then in the 
vigor and prime of manhood, in perfect health, 
with an ardent temperament, and a fine, full flow 
of spirits, was remarkably accessible and genial, 
full of activity and energy, and his powers, bodily 
and mental, were wholly absorbed in the cause 
of Seamen, to which he had consecrated himself. 
He was accustomed to revisit the place of his 
nativity twice a year, and was cordially greeted 
by all the inhabitants, who cherished for him a 
strong attachment. To the two congregational 
pastors especially, his coming, like that of Titus 
to Paul and his brethren of Macedonia, was a 
consolation ; for he never refused to lend a help- 
ing hand, and he inspired them, temporarily at 
least, with some of his own enthusiasm. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 211 

" The sermons preached by him in my pulpit 
were preached without notes, partook largely of 
the hortatory character, were illustrated by strik- 
ing anecdotes, choice bits of poetry, images drawn 
from the familiar objects of nature and the inci- 
dents of daily life, had much to do with the feel- 
ings of the audience, were evangelical, and were 
pressed home on the conscience and heart with 
decided effect. His voice was clear and pen- 
etrating, his gesticulations many, and his deliv- 
ery marked by an impassioned earnestness. He 
was very fond of children, had a rare faculty of 
winning their affections, and when he addressed 
them — as he frequently did at the Sabbath 
School Concert — secured their interested at- 
tention. 

" I regarded him as a self-denying, zealous, 
laborious minister, who seemed to be happy in 
his work, to enjoy in an eminent degree the light 
of God's countenance, and to be ever under the 
influence of his Spirit." ... 



Rev. James L. Hodge, D. D., of the Baptist 
Mariners' Temple, New York city, sends the fol- 
lowing: — 



212 PHINEAS STOWE 

"Baptist Mariners' Temple, 

New York, December n, 1873. 

Rev. H. A. Cooke. 

My dear Brother : My acquaintance with that 
dear servant of God and the sailor-man, the late 
Rev. Phineas Stowe, began about the time he 
gave himself to the seamen's cause in Boston. 
He often preached in my pulpit in this city, and 
always with great fervor and interest. He gave 
me this impression every time I heard him preach, 
or met him in private — if ever God raised up 
and qualified any man for a special mission and 
work upon earth, and for the help and salvation 
of any class of men, he raised up and specially 
qualified our lamented brother Stowe to be an 
apostle to the men of the sea. The proofs of his 
" apostleship " were many and patent. His zeal 
for God's glory and the well-being of the sailor 
was all-consuming. In a ministry now stretch- 
ing back full forty years, and with an acquaint- 
ance among ministers somewhat extensive, from 
my location, I am compelled to say I never knew 
a clergyman more devoted to his work than was 
Rev. Phineas Stowe. His self-forgetfulness, his 
untiring activity, and the intensity of his whole 



AND BETHEL WORK. 213 

life, always served to quicken my mind and my 
steps in the service of my Master. I doubt not 
many of my dear brethren in the ministry would 
bear similar testimony. 

It might be safely said of him, he had a pas- 
sion for the salvation of souls, since he was never 
so happy as when sinners were won to Christ. 
Like all men intensely earnest in doing good, he 
constantly surprised us by " the ways and means " 
he was ever devising to benefit and to bless the 
people. O, my brother Cooke, your predecessor 
was a good man, eminently a man of prayer, and 
" there was the hiding of his power." When you 
were called to take up the trumpet that fell from 
his lips in death, I trembled for you, my dear 
brother. Well knowing the difficulties of the 
work under circumstances the most favorable, 
from long years of experience in it myself, I could, 
as few others might be expected to do, realize the 
responsibility of the position to which God and 
your brethren had called you. To follow such a 
" standard-bearer " as Brother Stowe was no easy 
task or holiday enterprise, God be thanked, our 
hopes have not been disappointed in your qualifi- 
cations for the work, and your success in the 
important field. 



214 PHINEAS ST OWE 

Of the men of the sea whom I have seen at 
our meetings here in the port of New York, one 
gratifying fact I may mention, and which I am 
confident must have been as apparent to others 
as to myself, namely : the sailors begotten of our 
lamented brother in the gospel had a most strik- 
ing resemblance, in their piety and religious 
life, to their spiritual father in Christ. I con- 
fess that this remarkable fact often caused me 
to smile as I observed it in those who have taken 
part in my meetings. Where the resemblance 
was striking, they that bore it were all the more 
interesting for their spiritual likeness to him. 
My own brother, once commanding a vessel, but 
now dead, when in Boston harbor never failed to 
be one of his attentive hearers, and loved him as 
a brother. I trust they are now with Christ in 
glory." . . . 

In the following warm and earnest tribute we 
get the reflection of the Bethel pastor's character 
in a locality where his influence would have full 
scope. In Gloucester he was in his " field," and 
the description places before us a stalwart laborer 
equal to his work. Rev. G. B. Gow writes, — 



AND BETHEL WORK. 21$ 

"Worcester, Mass., December 16, 1873. 

" . . . Brother Stowe was well known in 
Gloucester as a devoted friend of the sailor. 
The fishermen of Cape Ann had their own 
peculiar place in his sympathies and plans. 
Their calling has its own dangers, both physical 
and spiritual, even among sailors. These he un- 
derstood and appreciated. While I was pastor 
of the First Baptist Church of Gloucester, he 
spent a Sabbath with me. As usual, he knew 
no rule of action but to use every opportunity for 
labor, and to make the most of it without thought 
of himself. He preached in my pulpit in the 
forenoon, and, if I remember rightly, at one of the 
other evangelical churches in the afternoon. His 
morning discourse was prolonged far beyond the 
hour of noon, and I wondered at the interest 
with which the people continued to listen to the 
end. He spoke without a manuscript. His ser- 
mon was not artistically constructed or rhetor- 
ically beautiful. But he talked with a tender 
vehemence and a loving earnestness that won 
the hearts of his hearers. 

" In the evening he spoke in the Town Hall. 
It was filled to its utmost capacity. The rough-. 



2l6 PHINEAS ST OWE 

est of the fishermen were there, and with them 
some of the most cultivated men of my own con- 
gregation, who confessed themselves specially- 
drawn to hear him by the spirit of the man. 
He talked, for about two hours. It seemed im- 
possible for him to stop. It was as if he stood 
at the rail, holding the seine in which the souls 
of his hearers were caught, and he must haul 
them in or they would be lost. The net might 
give way, some wave of God's ocean might tear 
it from the vessel's side, but his hold could never 
break. His hearers felt this ; arid in this moral 
earnestness and profound Christian sympathy lay 
his power as a man and a preacher. In private 
and in public he was ever the same — a godly 
man, who loved all souls, but to whom a sailor's 
soul was as precious as a senator's or a king's." 



Rev. Mr. Carlton, for many years chaplain of 
the State Prison, testifies that it was Mr. Stowe's 
delight to spread the gospel feast before the in- 
mates of that institution. To show how his 
efforts there were appreciated, a letter from one 
of their number is inserted. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 21 7 

"Massachusetts State Prison, 

Charlestown, February 21, 1869. 

". . Of the many ministers that occasion- 
ally officiated in our chapel, there was not one 
who so won the hearts of the convicts as did 
our dear departed friend, Phineas Stowe. 

" The Christian and the sceptic, the moral and 
the depraved, one and all, were made happy when 
his pleasant face was seen in the prison pulpit. 
To his remarks we all lent a willing ear, and 
many a man here would still be a wanderer from 
his God, but for the influence exercised over him 
by that zealous missionary of the cross. His 
name has become a household word in the prison 
for the highest type of man of which our imagina- 
tions conceive. When we speak to one another 
of a sincere Christian, of a worker for Christ, of a 
true friend to the prisoner and to humanity, we 
almost invariably gauge him by him whose loss 
we mOurn. Many of his expressions we cherish 
as a priceless legacy. They are to us the beacon 
light warning us off the dangerous shoals, and 
pointing to a haven where we may anchor and be 
at rest. What man among us can forget his fer- 
vid earnestness when saying, " I'm not the one to 



2l8 PHINEAS ST OWE 

talk kindly to you from the pulpit, and when I 
meet you outside turn coldly from you. No, dear 
brothers ; I love you all, and want to save your 
precious souls. I desire to know that you are 
happy here, and will be happy forever." 

"Yes, he did truly love us. His heart almost 
seemed to bleed when he saw a poor convict 
moved to tears by his remarks ; and many is the 
hard man, that cared not for the kicks and cuffs 
of the world, that would weep like a child when 
listening to his exhortations. But who wept more 
sorrowful tears than he did ? Not a man ! Each 
tear running down his cheek, as he witnessed so 
many victims of misery before him, was the coin- 
age of his sympathy, his manhood, and his Chris- 
tianity. His was a heart bleeding at every pore 
at the sight of wretchedness. He recognized a 
man, a fellow-man, in every outcast spurned by 
society. He loved us, not because we were wicked 
men, but because we were his fellow-men, with 
souls capable of living on in happiness or despair 
through eternal ages ; because we were just such 
as Christ came to save — sinners to be saved 
through the infinite power of love. 

" What a tribute to his memory was that deep, 



AND BETHEL WORK. 219 

leaden sorrow which pervaded the prison on the 
announcement of his illness and death ! Each con- 
vict felt that he had experienced a severe person- 
al loss- — a father, brother, friend was mourned for 
when Phineas Stowe was laid away in the grave. 
His is a reputation that, in the traditions of the 
Massachusetts State Prison, will outlive the tow- 
ering shaft of Bunker Hill, and tell of more glori- 
ous deeds done in the cause of humanity than 
those for which a grateful posterity has honored 
Warren and his fellow-patriots. 

" I can never forget him ; no, not as long as 
reason holds its seat. It was he that first instilled 
good thoughts and noble resolutions in my heart, 
and I can truly say that if I am ever saved, it will 
be through Mr. Stowe's and our warden's kind- 
ness, and the prayers of a loving mother and sis- 
ters. I will not disappoint the cherished hopes 
of a dear mother and sisters. I must make them 
happy for all the misery and disgrace that I have 
brought upon them, and show the world that, con- 
vict as I am, there is some good in me yet." 

The writer of the following, at the time of the 
incident here related, was an ordinary sailor, with 



220 PHINEAS STOWE 

the characteristic roughness of his class, includ- 
ing profanity. How little that is hopeful in such 
a case ! But the sower went forth to sow. The 
seed fell on apparently stony ground, but the fruit 
resulting indicated the effectual preparation. The 
writer states the fact and circumstances of his 
conversion, but does not say that he became a 
successful business man, had a large heart in 
bestowing his means, generously supported the 
ministry, and at times, publicly and effectively 
proclaimed the truths of the gospel. 

" Chicago, January 4, 1873. 

" Rev. H. A. Cooke. 

" Dear Sir : On a beautiful afternoon in March, 
1856, a sailor friend and I were loitering about 
Lewis's Wharf, in Boston, when discovering for 
the first time, the blue flag flying at the flagstaff 
on the Seamen's Bethel, corner of Lewis and 
Commercial Streets, our attention was attracted 
sufficiently to influence us to enter. The pastor, 
with his usual earnestness, was preaching from 
the text, 'Almost thou persuadest me to be a 
Christian.' 

" At the close of the sermon, Brother Stowe, 
as was his custom, left the desk, and offered his 



AND BETHEL WORK. 221 

closing prayer near the door, that he might hand 
a tract to each person as they passed out of the 
Bethel. To my lot fell one called ' The Swearer's 
Prayer.' It was the first tract I ever remember 
of reading, and its contents went like an arrow 
to my heart, causing great fear to come over me. 
Then and there I determined to swear no more. 
It was the first step towards the cross, and from 
that time I became thoughtful. A few days later 
I surrendered fully to the reign of Jesus. This 
fact was not made known to Brother Stowe until 
eight years had passed on the ocean, and I had 
settled in business in Chicago, where the Lord 
has greatly blessed my humble labors in the 
conversion of souls and the comforting of saints. 

" O, the wonderful power of that silent preacher 
— the tract ! Who can tell the extent of its in- 
fluence ? I could argue and dispute with an indi- 
vidual, but the tract would not contend ; it only 
presented the truth, and left it there. 

" With my best wishes and earnest prayers in 
your behalf, I am, 

"Yours in Christian bonds, 

S. M. HUNT, Jr." 



222 PHINEAS STOWE 

Rev. Ray Palmer, D. D., author of that beauti- 
ful hymn, "My faith looks up to Thee," with a 
heart full of sympathy for friends of many years' 
standing who had been visited by a .great sor- 
row, contributes the following in relation to one 
who had been providentially called to share with 
the Bethel pastor the " mighty work " laid upon 
him : — 

" New York, February 4, 1869. 
"... Mrs. Stowe — now wife of the present 
pastor of the Bethel — is a native of Milford, 
Conn. Her father, the late Governor Charles H. 
Pond, was a graduate of Yale College, a man of 
strong and vigorous mind, and great practical 
sagacity. He held various public offices, took a 
lively interest in public affairs, and was well 
known as among the prominent men of his time 
in Connecticut. He was a man of excellent 
habits, and in his later years a professor of re- 
ligion. Mrs. Pond, also, was in many respects a 
remarkable woman. With a fine person and 
agreeable manners, she had a good understand- 
ing, and a warm Christian heart. These parents 
had seven children, of whom the oldest was a 
son. He was my dear friend and classmate at 



AND BETHEL WORK. 223 

Yale — a model of manly beauty, and one of the 
finest scholars in his class. His health failed in 
his Sophomore year, and he died of diseased 
lungs at -his father's house at the early age of 
eighteen years and eight months. A memoir of 
him was published at New Haven, and afterwards 
other editions were issued by the Massachusetts 
Sabbath School Society at Boston. 

" The loss of such a son and brother was, of 
course, a life-long sorrow ; and to this, other be- 
reavements were soon added. The second daugh- 
ter, Catharine, a noble girl, and full of Christian 
earnestness, was married to the Rev. Cyrus Wat- 
son, and left home, taking with her the third 
daughter, Mary, to enter on Home Missionary 
life in the far West. On the way, Mary was 
taken suddenly ill, and died ; and Mrs. Watson 
had hardly begun the work on which her heart 
was set, when, at the age of twenty-one, she also 
was called away from earthly toil. A memoir of 
her, entitled " How to Live," was also published. 
Other inroads have since been made by death in 
this pleasant family circle ; and the greater num- 
ber of the children, with both the parents, sleep 
together till the day when all shall wake. 



224 



PHINEAS ST OWE 



" The companion of Mr. Stowe, who survives 
him, is the youngest of the household, and God 
has permitted her for many years to be the de- 
voted and useful wife of one of his faithful ser- 
vants. She is worthy to be associated with the 
memory of such a husband." 





CHAPTER XXI. 
Bethel Expansion. 

BY REV. C. A. SNOW. 

HE Bethel is making its record on the 
land as well as on the sea, and the 
tracings of its influence can never be 
erased by either fickle waves or shifting sands. 
They are by nature imperishable, because written 
upon living hearts and upon the ever-unfolding 
pages of human thought and enterprise. The 
spirit of Jesus is their life, and the seal he at- 
taches to them gives durability. 

The expansion of that influence which belongs 
to every true, earnest church is especially marked 
in the history of the Bethel, which is continually 
sending forth its living forces, like streams from 
a mountain spring, gathering power as they flow 
onward, and bearing the elements of pure and 
quickening life to other and distant places. 

225 



226 PHINEAS ST OWE 

Hundreds of noble men, who have been con- 
verted under the Bethel flag, have become repre- 
sentatives of its beneficence all over the world. 
The light of it glows in every clime ; it is efful- 
gent in far off continents, and in the islands of the 
sea. But also here, in our own country, its bless- 
ings are found in many a city, and port, and 
hamlet. Comparatively little note is made of the 
good that is being done, because we confine our 
observations generally to the specific work of 
the Bethel among seamen. But marked ex- 
amples of the earnest piety and enterprise of 
Christian men in our land, who have received 
their training in the Bethel Church, ought to 
be treasured in the Bethel work. A few years 
since, a young man left his home in Nova Scotia, 
and came to Boston. He was an entire stranger 
in the city, having no friends but a sister and her 
husband. Being an invalid from earliest youth, 
it was with great difficulty that he could seek 
friends or work. Sad and despondent, he one 
evening entered the Bethel, where he became 
impressed by the truth, and felt his soul yearning 
for the blessings of that truth as they were por- 
trayed in the fervid eloquence of the sainted 



AND BETHEL WORK. 227 

Stowe, He became a Baptist, though not with- 
out meeting with bitter persecution from friends 
of another persuasion. It was an impressive 
scene, when he was taken, like a child, in the 
arms of his pastor, and solemnly laid in the liquid 
grave, buried in the likeness of Christ. Having 
given himself to the Lord, he sought to know 
what he would have him to do. He caught the 
enthusiasm of the Bethel spirit. By earnest labor 
in the church and in the Mariner's Exchange, — 
of which latter place he had charge for a while, — 
he commended himself to the confidence and love 
of his brethren. Removing soon after to Provi- 
dence, R. I., he carried thither the same earnest 
love for the souls of the perishing ; and there, in 
a destitute and growing part of the city, he found 
a field all ready for his heart and hand. Here 
was the work for which God had designed and 
fitted him. Nobly did he set about it, so far as 
his crippled condition would allow. The history 
of that work is precious to all who are acquainted 
with it. Visiting from house to house, and hold- 
ing prayer and inquiry meetings, the seal of the 
divine blessing soon followed, and precious souls 
were brought to Christ. A Christian association 



228 PHINEAS ST OWE 

was formed by a few young persons for sys- 
tematic aggressive work ; the organization of a 
Sunday school and a church was contemplated. 
These matters were brought to the attention of 
several churches in the city, and they were urged 
to undertake the enterprise. When the faith of 
our brother had been severely tried, his plea was 
responded to, and the Friendship Street Church 
nobly met the exigency, and assumed the re- 
sponsibility of the work. It was prosecuted with 
wonderful diligence and success. To-day there 
stands upon a central position in that field a fine 
house of worship, occupied by one of the most 
active churches in the city of Providence. The 
Sunday school is said to number over four hun- 
dred scholars. Such is the result of the Cran- 
ston Street Mission, that originated in the warm 
heart of our dear Bethel brother, Alexander 
McDonald. Should he object to the publicity 
we have given to his connection with this work, 
we can only say it was for the purpose of awaken- 
ing deeper interest in a noble church. If it 
accomplishes our design, we believe Brother 
McDonald will approve of the act, because of the 
love he still cherishes for the dear Bethel that 
once folded him in its loving arms. 



CHAPTER XXII. 
Characteristics of a Sailor's Piety. 

BY REV. R. G. SEYMOUR. , 

". . . My soul is full of longing 
For the secret of the sea, 
And the heart df the great ocean 

Sends a thrilling pulse through me." 

HE sea has characteristics which the 
land has not. The first thought that 
comes to us, as we stand upon the 
shore, and look out upon the ocean, is its vast- 
ness. It stretches far away. Though we look 
out, and try to see the far-off shore of the other 
side, we only weary the eye in the search. And 
this feeling is pressed upon us as we sail over its 
broad bosom ; for days and nights no land ap- 
pears, and when at last we reach our destination, 
and touch again the shore, the other continent 
seems like an island that heaves its breast amidst 

229 



jp 

1 




&Ls© 



230 PHINEAS ST OWE 

the limitless waves. It is a thought peculiar to 
itself. No matter what height we ascend, and 
look over the earth, while thoughts of greatness, 
of grandeur, of power, of beauty, come thronging 
in, like strong angels, to lift up our heart towards 
God, because of the varied picture that is pre- 
sented to the eye, there is a sense of brokenness, 
of limitation. The sea speaks of the Infinite 
One* and the Limitless Life ! 

Then, again, there is a thought of fullness, of 
depth, that is peculiar to the ocean. We speak of 
" the deep, heaving sea," " the bottomless ocean," 
" the great deep." We never so speak of the 
earth. There is always a sense of surface, a sim- 
ple stretching with a measured line from point to 
point, in our notions of the earth-life ; this is 
because we have power to penetrate as far as we 
will. But into the sea God's plummet alone has 
reached the bottom. The heights, the breadth, 
and the depths seem to have a corresponding 
infinitude. 

When one accustomed to the land-life, with its 
restrictions, leaves his native shore, and sails on 
the main, he has a homesick longing for his old 
limitations ; but when he once has become ac- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 23 1 

customed to finding his pathway upon the path- 
less deep; knowing only the laws of heaven, feel- 
ing only the magnetic influence of the pole-star, 
then comes to him such a sense of freedom, that 
the shore-life, ever after, is a kind of imprison- 
ment. He feels like a caged gull. 

Men partake of the nature of their home. 
Character is in a large degree moulded and 
shaped by our natural surroundings. The Arab 
partakes of the wildness of the desert ; the Swiss 
partakes of the freedom of the mountains ; the Scot 
the strength of his hills. And thus old Ocean 
seems to beget in the sailor's soul the charac- 
teristics of her nature. The mother, as she 
rocks and sings, breathes into her child her own 
spirit. The sailor has a broad and generous life. 
His heart touches the world. He is cosmopol- 
itan in his ideas. Meanness is not found in his 
vocabulary. And when God comes into that 
broad heart with his love, he seems to know bet- 
ter than the landsman the meaning of the word 
Universe ; the holy relationship of universal fa- 
therhood and brotherhood ! The circle of God's 
sovereignty is the only limitation he knows. So, 
too, do we find a depth to his piety. You can dip 



232 PHINEAS ST OWE 

the measuring-rod of a mans faith into his heart ; 
and you will not find the bottom. His religion is 
more than that of humanity ; it is of God. And 
you would need to have the measuring-line of 
God's angel to sound it. There is not heat 
enough in the world's sun to lick it dry. It 
covers all his life, " as the waters cover the sea." 
His piety is not so shallow that some parts of 
his life show a hard, ugly, crooked surface. Full- 
heart edness is a sailor's characteristic. 

And so he seems to have ocean's freedom in 
his nature. Out of Christ, his freedom chafes 
under the restraints of the laws of the land ; in 
Christ, he finds delight in true obedience, but is 
impatient of human restraint, of any ceremonial 
that puts a fetter upon his spirit. Like the ves- 
sel that rides at anchor, or is fastened to the 
wharf, he seems to be straining at the cable as if 
he would up and away ! When the apostle speaks 
to him of the "liberty of the sons of God," he 
knows what it means. He sails by the chart of 
God's word, and in the liberty of the gospel. He 
is guided by the pole-star of truth. 

It is a glorious work that the Bethel does in 
winning these souls for Jesus. Not that one soul 



AND BETHEL WORK. 233 

is more worthy to be saved than another ; but 
some are more useful than others in exemplifying 
the gospel, in spreading the news of salvation. 

Let me illustrate these thoughts by the faint 
outline of the life of one who was led to Jesus by 
Rev. Phineas Stowe. It was his custom, when- 
ever a vessel came back from a cruise, to board 
her, make the acquaintance of the men, put him- 
self into sympathy with them, give them good 
advice about the care of their money, the choice 
of their companions, direct them to temperance 
boarding-houses, &c. 

When the Saratoga came back, after a three 
years' absence in the Japan expedition, in 1856, 
Mr. Stowe found himself, the day she entered the 
harbor of Boston, on board, at his usual work. 
Among the crew was a fine-looking young man, 
with a broad forehead and a manly expression, 
who attracted Mr. Stowe's attention. This young 
man was James Dougherty ; he was of Irish 
descent, and the most profane man on the vessel. 
So fearful was his profanity, sometimes his com- 
panions shuddered, and feared to remain upon the 
same yard-arm with him. But the sailor preacher 
drew towards him the sailor heart. After this, 



234 PHINEAS ST OWE 

as often as time allowed, this man came to Mr. 
Stovve's home. His heart was moved by the 
minister's Christian soul. He yielded to the call 
of the Spirit, and became a devoted follower of 
Jesus. Then shone in him the noble character- 
istics I have been describing. His life was felt 
by his companions and by the church. He dis- 
played so many qualifications that Mr. Stowe 
induced him to begin a course of study for the 
ministry ; but after spending a little time at 
Hamilton, he changed his plan, and returned 
to his sailor life. But how different now! How 
changed his influences since he came in contact 
with the great heart of Stowe ! Broader, deeper, 
freer the life since Jesus touched him ! Let him 
speak. In a letter he sent to his pastor from the 
United States sloop of war Decatur, he says, — 

" Since I have been on board of this ship, I 
have enjoyed the privilege of worshipping Him 
whose follower I profess to be. Particularly at 
sea, do I experience that blessed hope in all its 
fullness — the influence of those hallowed feelings 
to which you were instrumental in giving rise. 
How I love to gto aloft each evening, and there, in 
the maintop, far above the noise and confusion of 



AND BETHEL WORK. 235 

the miniature giddy world below, review the con- 
duct of each successive day, permit conscience to 
erect her tribunal, and there place myself humbly 
at God's footstool, and ask forgiveness for the sins 
of the day, and solicit grace to protect me in fu- 
ture trials ! My heavenly Father ! Sweetest of 
names ! How kind thou art, to permit unwor- 
thy me to enjoy thy presence on the ocean ! 
What is better calculated to allay the excitement 
of the mind, and the tumultuous feelings of the 
heart, arising from contact with the world, than 
to see this wonder of wonders, this great Pacific 
reposing in tranquil majesty ; to listen to its low, 
musical murmurs, not unlike the harping of the 
harps ; to see the great universe blazing around, 
above, and then to reflect that my Father is King 
of all these, and that for His glory they are and, 
were created ! Yes, ocean, vast as thou art, I 
shall see thy foundations wrapped in flames, and 
ye heavens, rolled together as a scroll ! Yet I 
shall be safe in a Saviour's love. I am not able 
to describe to you the beauties I see, nor the 
feelings I enjoy. I only wish that you could see, 
experience, and enjoy what I do. I almost pity 
people who live on shore. I hope to go down 



236 PHINEAS STOWE 

among the islands of the sea, where I anticipate 
much comfort with the servants of the Most High 
who labor there. Give my love to the church, 
dear brother, and tell them that I earnestly 
desire their prayers." 

Soon came the dark days of the rebellion. 
When the opportunity afforded, he threw himself, 
with all the ardor of his nature, into his country's 
cause. A Christian soldier was he, as a Christian 
sailor ; his Christian heart just as broad, full, and 
free in the land duty as upon the ocean. 

Before entering the service he was married. 
Read this letter sent to his wife, written four 
days before he died. They are the last of his 
written words. There are volumes in them. 

" My darling wife : I unite with you in giving 
thanks to Almighty God for the mercies of the 
past, and with you I humbly supplicate a con- 
tinuance of them in time to come. 

" You state you have invested your money 
in United States bonds. Right, my brave, noble, 
and patriotic wife ! Lend it to your country ; 
and should the country become poor, give all you 
have — comfort, home, life, health, everything! 
Perish selfishness ! Perish all but love, and the 



N 
AND BETHEL WORK. 237 

glorious land which gave our race a home ! Would 
to God that all the children of the land were like 
you. God will reward you for giving up your 
husband to fight for liberty ! " 

Suddenly, on the 25 th of March, 1865, came 
the enemy upon our troops at Fort Stedman, 
turning our guns upon our own men ; and the 
spirit of Major James Dougherty went up to rest 
with God, to sail upon the infinite ocean, to know 
the depths of eternal love, and to experience the 
freedom of an untrammelled soul. A trophy in 
heaven of the Redeemer's grace, that came there 
through the faithful work of the Bethel pastor. 

This is but one of a multitude. 




238 PHINEAS STOWE 



The following story, " The Rover at Rest," has 
a place within these pages as one among many 
interesting examples which might have been given 
of the influence of Mr. Stowe over the sons of the 
ocean. It was originally published in the Watch- 
man and Reflector, and was revised according to 
Mr. Butler's suggestions a short time before his 
death. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



The Rover at Rest. 




EARS ago, there lived in Rhode Island 
a family from the north of Ireland, 
whose young son gloried in his Amer- 
ican birth. They would gladly have kept him 
with them ; but being on the sea-coast, in a ship- 
ping town, he caught that fever for the sea which 
leads so many young adventurers, and fixes their 
profession as seamen. 

This boy went to sea, and finally entered our 
navy ; and that is all we know of him, until 
charms stronger than those of old ocean bound 
him to the land. He married a young girl in 
Venice, and settled himself down in that beauti- 
ful city for a time. There a little boy was born 
to them, whom they called William ; and it is 
with him we have now to do, and it is from his 
lips that we have received the following story of 

239 



240 PHINEAS ST OWE 

a strangely eventful life, which we shall write, as 
nearly as possible, from the notes taken in long 
conversations with him. 

William's only remembrance of Venice is of 
his home there, and of a woman — who he sup- 
poses was his mother — moving about the house ; 
then of her death, and of a funeral, — a sad pic- 
ture to be left on a young mind unlighted by the 
memory of a mother's love. The love was doubt- 
less there, but the dark shadows 'that followed 
clouded its light forever from the infant mind. 

If his father resolved to rove again after his 
wife's death, he knew that he could not take a 
tender child with him, and also that he could not 
leave him there among strangers. So he in- 
trusted him to a New England sea-captain, whom 
he appointed his guardian, and who was home- 
ward bound, with instruction to have him prop- 
erly educated at some good school. 

And that almost baby, from that voyage taken 
too early for any distinct remembrance of it to 
remain on his mind, struck out on the great sea 
of life for himself, a little wanderer, with none to 
pet him, none to guide or to pray for him. 

On their arrival, the captain put the child into 



AND BETHEL WORK. 24 1 

a good family, where he would be cared for and 
kept at school ; but being out of health himself, 
he soon went to Saratoga Springs, where he 
grew worse ; and after that, our little waif never 
heard of him again. A few years passed on, but 
William did not enjoy his school, nor his books. 
Perhaps he had inherited the roving spirit of his 
father, for his heart was with the waves that 
dashed upon the shore, near his present home, 
and he longed to go out on the waters, as other 
children long for their home. He made the sea 
his play-ground, and learned to swim, and float, 
and plunge, with the skill and the joy of a young 
sea-fowl. And the closer his intimacy grew with 
this great, free friend, the more distasteful was 
the confinement of the school-room. And with 
this passion for the sea, there was a lack of that 
real home-love which all children crave ; for, 
while he was well fed, and clothed, and sheltered, 
he had a hungry little heart within him, crying 
for sympathy he had never found, and which he 
perhaps hoped to find in the new friend on whose 
bosom he had now fully resolved to cast himself. 

One day, when the little fellow was about nine 
years old, he slipped off and went on board a 
16 



242 PHINEAS ST OWE 

whaler, which was taking in a crew for a long 
cruise. He begged to be received as cabin-boy, 
and told those in charge that he had neither fa- 
ther nor mother, and no one to make any trouble 
about it. 

The whalers were too glad to get such a hand- 
some and bright little fellow for a cabin-boy and 
a pet, to make much inquiry ; and so the friend- 
less child hid himself in the great ship, where he 
was almost lost, till she was fairly off for the 
Kamtschatka whaling-grounds. This ship had 
been captured by our navy from the British in 
the war of 1812 ; but its sturdy timbers were yet 
sound, and she ploughed the sea bravely with her 
freight of life ; and, if we are rightly informed, 
she still holds on her mighty way, gathering 
treasures for her owners, not far from our own 
city. The handsome little cabin-boy was a prize 
for the officers on this long, tedious passage. 
He not only waited on them gracefully, but he 
whiled away the tiresome hours by his merry 
tricks and childish mirth. And the very sight 
of him must have been a pleasure to them, in 
contrast with the rough tars about ; for he looked 
more like a little Italian prince than like a home- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 243 

less cabin-boy. Of course he was played with, 
petted, and spoiled by the officers ; nor was his 
training improved by his intercourse with the 
steerage-boy, who was the pet and plaything of 
the common sailors. 

There was at this time a custom among whal- 
ers, called " shaving the green hands " — a custom 
as cruel as it was senseless, and not unlike the 
barbarous sport called "hazing" in college. The 
officers, it seems, entered into the sport, as well 
as their men, and by it made their arrival at the 
equator memorable to young sailors. William 
had heard of this, and knew, about six weeks 
after leaving port, that they were nearing the 
equator. So, fearing that he might be made a 
victim of this cruel sport, he hid himself in the 
main-top. There he saw the whole performance, 
which he describes thus : — 

" One of the officers, disguised as Neptune, 
with a pitchfork, for a trident, in one hand, and a 
trumpet in the other, came on deck, the green 
hands having been first sent below. Then the 
main-yard was hauled back, to stop the ship's 
headway, so that preparations could be made for 
this initiatory rite. The ship's boat was brought 



244 PHINEAS STOWE 

on deck, and half filled with water, and a tilt- 
plank laid across the thwarts — the seats on 
which the rowers sit. Neptune, a grotesque and 
ridiculous figure, then left the cabin, — where he 
had been arraying himself, — through the win- 
dows, and clambered along the ship's side, till he 
reached the bow. Then he mounted the bow- 
sprit, and seated himself on its extreme point. 
There he sat, in mock majesty, holding his tri- 
dent aloft, forming a picture calculated to send 
terror to the heart of the sailor-boy who never 
saw the like before. Then the first victim is 
called up from 'below/ and is seated at. the oppo- 
site end of the boat. Neptune then asks him, in 
stentorian tones, all manner of nonsensical ques- 
tions, such as the following : ' Do you now wish 
to become a son of Neptune ? ' The sailor an- 
swers, ' Yes.' ' Will you now take the oath of 
office ? ' ' Yes.' 

" At this reply some one rushes suddenly for- 
ward, and daubs his mouth all over with " slush," 
for a lather, when the oath is administered. 

" ' You pledge yourself never to eat brown 
bread when you can get white, and never to eat 
hard bread when you can get soft ? Never to 



AND BETHEL WORK. 245 

refuse to help a shipmate in distress ? Never to 
give up the ship while there's a shot in the 
locker ? Never to kiss the maid when you can 
kiss the mistress ? ' 

" To all this the sailor swears, with uplifted 
hand. Then the lather is scraped off the face 
with a strip of hoop iron, filed out into teeth ; 
after which the bleeding and lacerated face is 
washed in a mixture of tar and slush. After this, 
Neptune springs up and lets the sailor down 
splashing into the water in the ship's boat, and 
the ceremony is over. When sailors refuse to 
submit to the operation, there is a 'row' on 
board." 

One playful and harmless joke of William's 
captain he remembers, which was this : When 
the ship was at the equator, he drew a thread 
across the glass of the telescope, and called the 
" green hands " to look through it, and see " the 
line." 








wm 




^J§lyisQ3 





CHAPTER XXIV. 




ik vr^x FTER this our little voyager made 
ife»V?n another cruise for whales to Behring's 
Straits. The ship was this time most 
successful, filling up with oil in two months, and 
returning directly home. 

During the first part of the voyage, " Little 
Bill" acted as the captain's boat-steerer, and in 
this capacity he had a chance at the sport. Fre- 
quently the whale, infuriated by the agony of the 
harpoon, would swim off, drawing boat and men 
after him ; and once, a boat in which our little 
hero was steering was drawn off from the bark 
at the rate of thirty-five miles an hour — a trip 
which the sailors playfully called "a sleigh-ride 
on the fourth of July." To this whale the boat 
was fastened from Sunday morning, at ten 
o'clock, until Tuesday forenoon. All this time, 
the whole efforts of the powerful crew were bent 
on killing the monarch of the sea, but without 

246 



AND BETHEL WORK. 2/tf 

effect. He lashed the water, stove in several 
boats, and greatly endangered the lives of the 
men. But they kept up the dreadful conflict, 
knowing that, as long as he only spouted water, 
they had not struck at the vital spot. But on 
Tuesday morning, after terrible efforts to shake 
off his pursuers, he gave up the conflict, and sent 
up a great spout of blood, which dyed the sea 
about him. This whale, whose blubber was eigh- 
teen inches thick, yielded one hundred and twenty 
barrels of oil. 

For thirty months they cruised on whaling- 
grounds, during which time " Little Bill " grew 
very brave and fearless in spirit, and developed 
very rapidly in person. The sailors, hungering 
for fun, and knowing that their discipline was too 
strict to admit of much trifling, used to set up 
these boys to all manner of mischief when in 
port, feeling sure that whatever they might do 
would be either overlooked or laughed at by the 
officers. This was a poor training for our little 
hero ; but the free and easy life he had led thus 
far only whetted his appetite for it. He craved 
the whaler's work, as well as play ; he longed to 
spear the whale ; to be dragged in the boat by 



248 PHINEAS ST OWE 

him, in his efforts to escape ; to mount his back, 
cut him up, and to dip buckets full of crystal oil 
from the open gulf within his head. And all this 
the child resolved to do at no distant day. He 
had now tasted of the wild excitement which 
great luck produces on a whaler's crew, after that 
long, dull waiting for sport which is so trying to 
active and ambitious men. 

At length the ship returned to Massachusetts, 
and " Little Bill," who had been traced after his 
flight, found a letter informing him that a sister 
of his father was living in a neighboring Rhode 
Island town, who was anxious to receive him into 
her family. He first visited the people he had 
left so unceremoniously, with no fear whatever of 
censure or punishment. Although not yet twelve 
years old, he felt, and he had made them also feel, 
that he was his own master ; and they did not 
try to restrain him. The captain, his guardian, 
had probably died in the mean time, and he had 
lost all track of his father, who was doubtless in 
like ignorance about him. 

William was now kindly received by his aunt ; 
but school was as distasteful to him as before. 
When urged to remain on shore, he decided to 



AND BETHEL WORK. 249 

learn the cooper's trade, and after that to go out 
as cooper in another whaler, that position being 
one of great profit. He says he was won to that 
trade by the music of the hammer. Its merry 
beat on hogshead, cask, and tub during the 
voyage had become like the roll of the drum to 
him ; and he was very happy when he found 
himself at work, and keeping time in this way 
himself. He worked on bravely for some months, 
making very rapid progress, as he did in every- 
thing he touched, except in his books. 

William was nearly thirteen years old when an 
event occurred in this little seaport town, which 
again broke up his plans. A bark had gone on 
shore at Montauk Point, where she was reported 
wrecked, and was advertised for sale at auction. 
The coopers of the town went down to the auc- 
tion, examined the bark, and finding her only 
slightly damaged, joined together, bought her for 
a mere nominal sum, and fitted her out as a 
whaler, thus making a most profitable invest- 
ment. One of the coopers was to go out as cap- 
tain, and when looking about for a ship's cooper, 
" Little Bill " presented himself, as an applicant 
for the place. The suggestion seemed ludicrous 



250 



PHINEAS STOWE 



at first, but on inquiry the captain, who had heard 
of the little fellow's skill, decided that he could 
do the work under his direction. And so, as he 
would be a very cheap cooper, he engaged him 
for the cruise. 




CHAPTER XXV. 




OR twenty months our little adventurer 
sailed over the waters he loved, keep- 
ing time to the dashing of the waves 
with the "tip tap" of his hammer, whistling' out 
the mirth of his heart, and lightening the weari- 
some days of the men by his boyish tricks 
and jests. 

Thus far they had experienced rather " hard 
luck ; " and now the captain resolved to go into 
the Indian Ocean in search of sperm whales. 

They landed at Zanzibar for water and pro- 
visions ; but finding that the African fever was 
raging there, they sailed away as soon as pos- 
sible. 

There was a crew of twenty-six men on board, 
some of them being green hands. They had 
been out at sea but a short time, when the captain 
fell sick with the terrible scourge from which they 
had fled, and died. The first mate was the next 

251 



252 PHINEAS STOWE 

victim, and at length the two other mates sank 
under the disease, and were all buried in the sea, 
leaving the valuable ship and cargo in the hands 
of those apparently incompetent to manage her. 
Then our young sailor, strong in the power of 
common sense and a resolute will, told the help- 
less men that " he believed he could get the ship 
to land somewhere." They yielded to his govern- 
ment, feeling more confidence in him than in 
themselves, for each. one knew himself to be unfit 
for the task. William knew nothing whatever of 
the science of navigation, but he felt, as if by 
instinct, that land could be made soonest by 
sailing towards a certain point which he had in 
his mind. The men yielded with deference to 
his decision, and wrought bravely to carry out 
his orders. 

But death kept up his work of terror. Day 
after day some strong man fell at the wheel or 
among the shrouds, as if stricken down by a 
poisoned arrow. It was solemn work for that 
boy-captain and his terror-stricken men to pre- 
pare their comrades, one after another, for their 
ocean-graves ; but they did it faithfully and ten- 
derly, till every piece of loose iron and every 



AND BETHEL WORK. 253 

ship's utensil had been used for weights to carry 
the bodies down to the floor of the sea. As they 
stood by the plank, time after time, ready to 
launch each new victim into the abyss, some one 
would say, solemnly, " Whose turn will it be to 
go next ? " 

When the iron and sand on board were gone, 
the horrid thought presented itself that the next 
corpse cast out would have to lie floating on the 
bosom of the waters through rain and wind, and 
under the rays of a tropical sun, exposed to birds 
of prey, without even the waters for shroud and 
sepulchre ! And to their minds, already made 
keenly sensitive by anxiety for the ship and by 
fear of death, this thought caused agony of which 
those who never stood in such a place can have 
little idea. There is in human nature an instinc- 
tive horror at the thought of the body, which has 
been the spirit's home, lying exposed in all the 
humiliation of decay, and a universal desire that 
it should be hidden from view when its comeli- 
ness and symmetry are gone. 

At length two more of the men died in one 
day, and this fearful question arose, " How shall 
we bury them out of our sight ? " 



254 PHINEAS ST OWE 

Then the fertile imagination of our boy-navi- 
gator, who was still guiding the ship towards 
some islands he had in his mind, suggested a 
plan for the emergency. He bade the surviving 
seamen bind the dead men together and lash 
them to the grindstone, and with this last possible 
thing to be used for such a purpose, these, the 
eighteenth and nineteenth victims, were lowered 
into the sea ! There were now seven only left 
out of the twenty-six men who had sailed from 
Zanzibar. But here the plague was stayed, and, 
panic-stricken and sorrowful as they were, the 
sailors still kept up heart, working bravely at 
helm and sail, having full faith in their young 
commander, who promised confidently to bring 
them into some port ere long. 

And it really seemed as if the God of whom 
he had no thought was inspiring the boy with 
wisdom ; as if his own mighty hand was at the 
wheel, guiding, while his own winds bore them 
on to a haven of refuge. 

Between three and four hundred miles did this 
plague-smitten bark make her way safely, under 
circumstances in which wise mariners, who rely 
on compass and quadrant, would have pronounced 



AND BETHEL WORK. 255 

the effort worse than vain. But there was on 
board an heir of salvation, one who was yet to 
lead many other sons of the sea to the feet of 
Him who rides upon the whirlwind ; one who, 
after his rovings were ended, was to build his 
tabernacle on the land, to watch for the souls of 
sailors, and to save them from their foes on shore. 
And as a training for the work 'before him, God 
was, perhaps, then showing him the sorrow there 
is on the sea. That bark was a charmed vessel. 
William was " immortal till his work was done ; " 
and for his sake, perhaps, it was saved and 
brought into the desired haven. 

By and by there came a bright fulfilment of 
the hopeful boy's promises. The bark hove in 
sight of land, which proved to be one of the 
Comoro Islands, and the authorities and the peo- 
ple, when they heard the tale, were amazed and 
delighted by the bravery which had saved a 
cargo, which, had he given up in dismay, would 
have been lost. 

William knew just how to proceed, for he had 
kept both eyes and ears open when business had 
been done or discussed among seamen. He now 
presented himself, with all the assurance and 



256 PHINEAS ST OWE 

dignity of a victorious commander, before the 
American consul at Joanna, told his story, and 
asked aid in getting the bark and cargo back to 
the city to which she was consigned. 

The consul was much interested in the case, 
and at once procured a captain, one who was 
desirous of returning to the United States, and a 
crew to work the ship. And again our young 
adventurer set forth, occupying a place of trust 
under his new commander, who admired and 
respected the manly little fellow. 

Some persons would have said that " the fates " 
were against our little waif on the sea ; but those 
who recognize God's hand know that he was 
leading the boy through strange, dark ways to 
the glorious light, and joy, and rest of a Father's 
house. The bark, which had but just emerged 
from the scourge of the plague, was soon seized by 
a foe not less relentless. The American consul 
at Joanna had been most unfortunate in his 
selection of a crew, and it was soon found that 
most of them were transported convicts. They 
were very anxious to get to Capetown, and 
resolved to take possession of the bark and run 
her in there. But those who were rightly dis- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 2$ 7 

posed stood by the captain, and with their aid he 
put eight of the mutineers in irons, thus saving 
the lives of his men, as well as the ship, for the 
rebels were desperate villains, who would not 
have hesitated to murder any who stood in their 
way. 

Four of the men, feeling themselves grasped in 
the strong arm of a righteous power, repented of 
their course, and promised, if released, to work 
quietly and faithfully during the rest of the 
voyage. On this condition the irons were re- 
moved, and they were allowed to return to their 
places. The other four, being morose, and show- 
ing signs of insubordination, were kept in con- 
finement, and were brought in irons into the 
New England port, where, in due season, the ship 
arrived, after having been given up for lost. 

And still our little hero, who had been boat- 
steerer for the captain ; who had been drawn by a 
whale, at the rate of thirty-five miles an hour, 
who had directed and aided in nursing and in 
burying nineteen men ; who had carried a ship 
into port, — was not yet fifteen years old ! The 
owners of the bark fully acknowledged his bra- 
very and his skill, and in some measure repaid 
17 



258 PHINEAS ST OWE 

him in money for his care and labor in saving 
their property. 

During all this time the boy neither saw God's 
hand nor acknowledged his care in bringing him 
through these dangers and restoring him again 
to the place he now called home. 




CHAPTER XXVI. 




OBINSON CRUSOE portrays adven- 
tures scarcely more marvellous than 
those of our Venetian boy ; and were 
we to touch up this picture never so lightly with 
the pencil of fiction, we could make a story which 
every boy in the land would read with wonder. 
But our object is not to write a thrilling and 
exciting tale, but to describe the real life of a 
Christian man, who has lived and labored among 
us, and to show how strangely and mercifully 
God often brings to himself those who are afar 
off, and makes those who have none on earth to 
care for their souls his especial care. 

After the last terrible voyage, in which he had 
to contend with pestilence, storms, and mutiny, 
William resolved to remain, at least for a time, on 
the land, and to study navigation, that he might 
become captain of a vessel when old enough. 
But we all know what such resolutions amount to 

259 



260 PHINEAS ST OWE 

when once a boy's heart is wedded to the sea. 
There is henceforth no air to him like that which 
sweeps through the sails, no motion like the 
swell of the billows, and no music like the grand 
roar of the sea. He looks on all the business of 
the land as dull and tame, and is by restlessness 
usually unfitted for it. 

A very short time at home sufficed to drive 
away the horrors of this last voyage from Wil- 
liam's mind, and he began to look about for a 
ship as eagerly as if he had never seen strong 
men dying off by the plague, and had never 
prepared them for, and consigned them to, ocean- 
graves. The story of his last voyage had of 
course made quite a commotion in the small sea- 
port town where his aunt lived, and to which he 
went on his return from sea as to his home. His 
courage, his powers of endurance, as well as his 
love of the sea, won great favor for him among 
seafaring men. He was now offered the second 
mate's berth on board a merchantman, carrying 
out a cargo of New England produce to exchange 
for molasses, and once more set sail. 

They landed safely at Demarara after a pros- 
perous voyage, but found the yellow fever raging 



AND BETHEL WORK. 26 1 

fearfully there. The captain was taken down 
with the disease and died. They loaded with all 
possible speed, and left port, hoping, with a fair 
wind, soon to outsail the danger. But the first 
mate, who was the captain's brother, died, and 
again a vessel with crew and freight were thrown 
upon the hands of this boy. Again the angel of 
death took the helm and guided the ship into the 
waters of his own dark sea. The strong men 
began to fall under his poisoned breath, till, one 
by one, William and the steward had committed 
the rest of the crew, eight in number, to the deep. 
They were now midway between Demarara and 
Bermuda, and William resolved to run into Cuba, 
if possible, and thus to save the bark, as it was 
impossible for two men, however skilful, to work 
her on a long passage. He had now the whole 
cabin to himself. And such was the boy's bra- 
very that he never for an hour gave up the hope 
of taking the bark " C. R. A." safely to her con- 
signees. But the strongest will cannot beat off 
the mortal foe of man. Our little hero began to 
feel the hot blood rushing through his veins, 
and knew by the symptoms that the fever had 
already seized hold of his vitals. He dreaded 



262 PHINEAS ST OWE 

the % effect of this on the courage of his last helper, 
the steward ; and so, to disarm suspicion, he 
talked of the labor it must be for two alone to 
get the bark to land, and proposed that they 
should bring up a mattress from the cabin and 
lay it down by the wheel, so that while one 
steered the other might lie down and rest. Then 
the steward owned that the fever was already on 
him, and that every turn of the wheel seemed to 
him the last. The mattress was then spread, 
and the two fever-stricken men took turns at the 
wheel, sometimes obliged to lie or recline while 
they steered. After some time they made land 
at the north-east end of Cuba, near the mouth of 
the river Metedes. Here they both felt that 
their hour had come, and that neither could 
longer guide the ship. With the energy of de- 
spair they succeeded in hoisting the flag of dis- 
tress, hoping that some one on land would descry 
it, and save the bark for the owners ; but they 
gave up life for themselves, and lay down to die. 

But as before, so now, God's eye was on the 
bark that bore the boy with the charmed life, 
and not even this malignant fever had power to 
harm him. Their flag was seen as soon as 



AND BETHEL WORK. 263 

raised, and a pilot was sent out to them. He 
and those who came with him saw at a glance 
the state of the case. The pilot took the helm, 
and brought them up the river to the harbor. 
He placed the now unconscious seamen — for 
they sank in delirium as soon as they were 
relieved of the ship — in the care of a physician 
who knew the disease. For seven days they lay 
unconscious of their condition, and when the 
fever had yielded to the power of medicine act- 
ing on good constitutions, and reason returned, 
neither of them knew where he was, nor could 
recall any of the circumstances of their rescue. 
They had kept their senses only on one point, to 
the last — the care of the vessel. 

After long and careful nursing, they were suf- 
ficiently restored to set sail for home. William 
shipped six Spaniards, good sailors, and with the 
steward, set sail, and arrived in New York, to 
which city the bark was consigned. The bark 
and her cargo had long been given up as lost, 
and we may imagine the joy as well as the sur- 
prise with which the owners hailed her return. 
The consignees evinced their gratitude by pay- 
ing William and the steward their monthly wages 



264 PHINEAS STOWE 

and presenting them with one hundred dollars 
each ! We only regret that we cannot give the 
names of this prosperous firm of shipping mer- 
chants ; but we are forbidden to do so ; William 
wishes that only good should be chronicled of 
those with whom he has had dealings ; the evil 
or meanness by which he has suffered he for- 
gives, and desires to hide from the censure of 
the world. 

Our brave young sailor, proud of the wages of a 
long voyage and a hundred dollars, which should 
have been a thousand, returned, after his business 
in New York was done, to his aunt's, in Rhode 
Island, very feeble from the effects of the scourge 
which had brought him so near to the grave. 
But in six weeks, with returning strength, came 
back his desire for the sea, and he shipped again 

as second mate of the whaling bark F , 

bound for the Pacific Ocean. 

From the hour they set sail the captain gave 
himself up to drink, and for four months after 
that he could hardly be said to have been really 
sober. The habit had been growing on him for 
years, and now, removed from all restraints of 
wife, children, and a virtuous community, the 



AND BETHEL WORK. 265 

enemy made him an easy prey. Pie drank the 
purest French brandy in quantities which would 
have killed most men in a week. But even he 
yielded at last, and while they were lying in the 
Japan Sea death came to him in its most horrid 
form. William had been a great favorite with 
him, and now he called on him incessantly for 
brandy, which the boy dared not give. The first 
mate, however, yielded to his importunities, and 
dealt out to him on the day of his death a pint of 
brandy, which he drank raw, and which did the 
final work on the vitals already so nearly con- 
sumed. The wretched man realized that he was 
dying by his own hand, that he was to go down 
to his watery grave as a drunkard, leaving a 
widow and fatherless little ones, when, but for 
the curse of strong drink, he might have lived to 
bless and care for them. His mind wandered 
back to his home in the noble Pine State, which 
has sent forth so many brave sons to bless the 
world. Perhaps the prayer lisped at his mother's 
knee, and echoed through all these years, came 
back to him ; perhaps the holy lessons of the 
Sabbath school and the rural sanctuary were 
whispered in his dull ear by the voice of memory, 



266 PHINEAS ST OWE 

thus recalling the God whose laws he had despised. 
" He thought upon God and was troubled." He 
dared not approach him face to face alone after 
having wilfully sinned throughout his whole life. 
He called to his mate and begged him to pray 
God for pardon and peace in this awful hour. 
But, alas ! the mate was in the same case, and 
was forced to own that he knew not how ; that he 
had never prayed. Perhaps the guilty and dying 
man thought that " nearer to infancy " was 
" nearer to heaven ; " so he sent on deck for the 
boy-mate. William was awe-stricken at the sight 
of a strong man calling for help from the weak, 
and calling in vain. As he stood before him, the 
captain said, " I have been a great sinner, Wil- 
liam. I'm going to die, and I'm afraid to meet 
God. I want you to pray for me." Then, for 
the first time, it occurred to William that there 
was need of prayer ; but he had to confess, as did 
the chief mate, that he had never prayed for him- 
self, and so could not pray for others. " I cannot 
pray ; I never prayed in my life," he said ; and 
the dying man turned mournfully away, exclaim- 
ing, " O, must I then die a sinner!" and those 
were his last words. He was soon after that 
lowered to his last bed in the Japan Sea. 



gm$&&BS&3& 



CHAPTER XXVII. 




ILLIAM'S mind was somewhat affected 
by the awful scenes through which he 
had passed, and thoughts of God, and 
doubts of his own state before him, troubled him. 
He was impressed with the awful fact, that a 
sinner had passed into the presence of God 
without a prayer because he dared not pray for 
himself, and had none near him who knew how 
to pray. 

But what little seriousness there might have 
been was soon dispelled by change of scene. 
The mate took the vessel into Honolulu to re- 
cruit, and there she was sold. William now 
shipped in the bark " C ," of New Bruns- 
wick, as chief mate ; for, although still so young, 
he was very tall, and looked mature, and gave 
evidence of skill in his profession. The ship 
cruised most successfully in the Sea of Okhotsk 
and neighboring waters for forty-eight months, 

267 



268 PHINEAS STOWE 

visited several Japanese ports, and nearly one 
hundred and fifty islands. William's share in the 
profits of the cruise was some six thousand dol- 
lars, with which he bought drafts on a shipping 
house in New Bedford. He now met with some 
one who knew his father, of whom he had long 
lost all knowledge. He learned that he was in 
business at a little port of New Zealand, where 
whalers were in the habit of putting in for sup- 
plies. When the vessel of which he was first 
mate returned to Honolulu, he left her, and went 
in search of his father. When he reached the 
place, his father had left the store for his home, 
which was several miles back in the country, the 
port being a quiet, dull place, with only a dozen 
dwellings of the humblest class. William at once 
went in search of him. Father and son met as 
strangers, but it was not long before the old man 
recognized the fine-looking youth, of whom he 
might well be proud, and gave him a hearty 
welcome. Here William found an English step- 
jnother, and several half-sisters, living in a highly 
respectable manner, although shut out from soci- 
ety and most of the advantages of civilization. 
The high region back of the sea, on which his 



AND BETHEL WORK. 269 

father's place was situated, he describes as being 
very beautiful, rich in tropical foliage and flowers. 
The peach grows there wild, in great profusion 
and luxuriance ; the tradition of the natives being 
that there was no such fruit there until after the 
visit of Captain Cook, and that he and his men 
sowed the seed which is now yielding such rich 
harvests. 

This first taste of home love was very sweet to 
our young rover, and he readily acceded to his 
father's proposition to remain with him as cashier 
of his ship-chandlery ; and he went at his busi- 
ness with all the energy of his nature ; for 
whatever he did, he always did with his whole 
heart. 

All moved on well for a time ; but the little 
port was very dull when there were no ships in 
harbor, and the lazy listlessness of the natives, 
with the dull languor produced by the climate, 
soon grew burdensome to the impulsive youth. 
And besides this, there lay the great, restless sea 
always before him, beckoning to him with every 
wave, and calling him with the voices of wind, 
and surge, as a mother calls to her son to return 
to her for joy and comfort. 



270 PHINEAS ST OWE 

Her voice was heard in his dreams, and he 
fancied himself out on her bounding bosom, only 
to wake and return to the dull little port, and to 
his ledger. The restraint soon became more 
than he could bear, and he laid the case before 
his father, telling him then, for the first time, of 
the drafts in his possession, which he said he 
should like to invest with his cousin, who was in 
business in the little Rhode Island port he called 
home. His father probably knew that arguments 
were useless in the case, and so kindly yielded to 
his wishes, offering to give him six thousand dol- 
lars in gold, to add to the little fortune of his own 
earning. 

With twelve thousand dollars in his possession, 
our hero now took ship as passenger from Aus- 
tralia to San Francisco. It was in the winter of 
i860 that he landed in the great, strange city ; 
and scarcely had he done so, when he fell in with 

seven of his shipmates, from the fortunate C , 

who also had with them thousands of dollars in 
gold, and who were, like himself, on their way 
home to New England. 

Thus far William had been neither a drunkard 
nor a gambler, though he had taken, now and 



AND BETHEL WORK. ■ 27 1 

then, a friendly glass with a shipmate, or made 
one at a game of cards, to while away the time 
at sea. But now that there were eight men to- 
gether, they must all be generous, and treat, time 
about ; thus forcing each to drink eight glasses 
at every meeting. The eyes of the landsharks 
were soon fixed on them and their money ; and 
it was not long before they were invited, "just for 
a little sport," to faro tables in saloons, and to 
euchre and bluff at hotels. They were all fresh 
at gambling, and began, as they used to do at 
sea, to play for a plug of tobacco, a shirt, or a 
pair of boots. Their wily foes let them play on 
thus a while, till by degrees they drew out their 
shining gold. They suffered them to win, day 
after day and night after night, feeling safe as 
long as they had their hand on them. William 
grew very expert, and was wildly applauded for 
his skill. 

One night they had played very deeply, and the 
gold they had won lay in glittering heaps before 
them. Just before daybreak, the eight compan- 
ions returned to their hotel with seventy thousand 
dollars in gold in their bandanna handkerchiefs. 
But after this the tables turned, and the others 



2-J2 PHINEAS STOWE 

began to win. William grew desperate to win 
his lost money back again, sold one draft after an- 
other, and swamped the money in the vain effort. 
Then the hotel-keeper called for his bills, as did 
all others who had had dealings with the reckless 
eight ; and ere long, poor William's twelve thou- 
sand had dwindled down to one draft on a New 
Bedford firm for two thousand dollars. His dis- 
sipation had by this time told sadly on his fine 
person, and he became the game of not only the 
gambler, but also of men who bore a nobler name, 
and who followed a nobler profession — men who, 
had they held out to him a fatherly hand, could 
even then have saved him from the clutches of 
these human fiends. 

There was real honor in the fellow's heart, for 
all his wanderings ; and when he woke up to see 
his condition, he resolved to cash this last draft 
of two thousand dollars, pay his debts, and set 
out for home. So he presented it, as good as 
gold, to a first class house, and they offered him 
fifteen hundred dollars for it, and no more ; " be- 
cause New Bedford was so far away " ! And 
William, keenly as he felt the injustice of the 
transaction, accepted the offer as the only alter- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 273 

native, paid his bills, purchased a few garments, 
and took passage, with a two hundred dollar 
ticket, in the cabin, for New York, thoroughly 
humbled, in his own esteem, by the evil course 
he had been running, and by the fear of its ef- 
fects on his future prospects. When, after some 
weeks, he reached his aunt's house, he had sixty 
dollars left of his twelve thousand ! 




CHAPTER XXVIII. 




HE great civil war had just broken out, 
and seventy-five thousand men had 
been called for. William felt no burn- 
ing patriotism ; he did not even give the matter 
calm consideration ; but, by the advice of some 
and the urgency of others, he plunged headlong 
into this new excitement, enlisted, and went with 
many others to Camp Dexter. In less than 
twenty-four hours he was sick of the confinement 
and discipline, and of the company of landsmen, 
who were a new race of beings to him. Every 
new day brought fresh agony for his restless 
spirit, and he began to contemplate suicide as the 
only way of release. He looked about for a place 
where, in solitude, he could point his musket at 
his own heart ; but there were eyes on him all 
around, and hands which would frustrate his 
attempt. He felt forced to live on. 

He marched with his regiment, was at the 

274 



AND BETHEL WORK. 275 

battle of Bull Run, and served honorably and 
bravely there ; for it was not in his nature to be 
untrue to anything he had engaged in. What he 
had pledged himself to do he always did to the 
best of his ability ; and although war was re- 
pugnant to him, and the company he found in 
his regiment most distasteful, he stood to his 
post like a man till his time expired. 

At the battle of Antietam he received three 
wounds at one time, by a ball passing through his 
arm, and again by a bursting shell in both legs. 
At the time of the disaster he fell helpless on 
the field, bleeding profusely, and but for his 
presence of mind must have died. After tying 
his leg tightly with his handkerchief to stay the 
flow of the blood, he lay all night insensible on 
the field, and awoke to consciousness in the 
hospital. He was in several battles after this, 
and served out his time with honor to himself 
and his adopted country. He carried the marks 
of his deep wounds to his grave ; and yet such 
was his high spirit that he never applied for his 
lawful pension. When friends urged him to do 
so, he would always say, " No ; there are many 
who need it more than I — let it go." 



276 PHINEAS STOWB 

While in the army, Mr. Butler had managed to 
let the officers know that his seamanship was 
being wasted on land ; and after his term had ex- 
pired, he received a commission as sailing-master 

of a gunboat, S B , his duty being to sail 

up and down the Nansemond River to prevent 
the enemy throwing up earthworks. He was 

afterwards appointed sailing-master of the C , 

a captured blockade-runner, and used by our 
government as a blockader. He was thus en- 
gaged for some time with credit to himself and 
to the country. 

Previous to his last both lucky and luckless 
voyage, William had deposited a few hundred 
dollars in the bank at home, and he left the navy 
with about two thousand dollars more in his 
possession — for he had there avoided all those 
sins which had robbed him of money and peace. 

It had long been his desire to buy a captain's 
interest in a merchant vessel, and an opportunity 
occurred, on his coming to Boston, to secure just 

such an interest in the L . For this he paid 

all he had in the world but one hundred dollars, 
which he kept back to get clothes suitable for the 
voyage ; so that, while the other owners insured 



AND BETHEL WORK. 277 

their shares to their full value, he had to risk his 
without any insurance whatever. 

He was now fully his own master. He was in 
fine. health and spirits, and full of good resolu- 
tions, and of hope for the future. He sailed on 
the 1 8th of December, 1864, for Havana, loaded 
with " shucks " for making sugar-boxes and bar- 
rels — a cargo valued at between two and three 
thousand dollars, expecting to bring back West 
Indian produce. He felt, the day he set sail, 
that he had just begun life in earnest, and he 
fully resolved to live the life of a real, true man — 
as far as his views went of such a life. 

But his discipline was not yet over. He was 
the acknowledged child, to be chastened, and not 
the son of dishonor, to be cast off and neglected. 
When five days out, the vessel encountered a tre- 
mendous gale. Her masts were carried away, and, 
her cargo being light, she foundered. She was then 
a hundred miles out in the Gulf Stream. The fog 
hung about like thick curtains, when a sea struck 
the vessel, broke over the stern, stove in the cabin 
bulkhead, and swept the decks forward, carrying 
away the caboose, and springing the jib-boom. 
The sea was now washing violently over the broken 



278 PHINEAS STOWE 

spars, pieces of masts, and other loose timbers, 
which were beating and threatening death at every 
lurch of the helpless craft. William, always ready 
to do himself what he asked of others, now seized 
an axe, and called for some one to join him in 
cutting away the loose stuff which was endanger- 
ing their lives. Scarcely had the words been 
uttered, when a tremendous sea struck him, and 
he was seen by his men to turn a complete 
somersault, and was then washed overboard and 
lost to sight amid the angry billows. He felt 
himself going down, down, while perfectly erect, 
as if standing on his feet. He kept descending 
to the depths, and felt that his breath was going, 
and that he was lost. Then came thoughts of 
God and eternity, and like an avalanche they 
rolled over his helpless soul. The sins of his 
childhood and his youth rose distinctly before 
him, and shut out all hope of heaven. He was in 
an agony, when suddenly it occurred to him to 
make one desperate struggle for life — to strike 
upward towards the light of day. As he made 
the first effort, he felt himself rising ; and looking 
up, he saw a faint light glimmering above him, 
and with the wild energy of despair he aimed 



AND BETHEL WORK. 279 

towards it. He had on a heavy pea-jacket and 
long rubber boots reaching above the knee, both 
of which he had felt dragging him down while 
deep in the water. When he rose to the surface, 
both pea-jacket and boots were gone, and his 
limbs were free to strike for life. How he rid 
himself of them he has not the slightest recol- 
lection. 

When he rose he saw a rope thrown out, and 
swam for it. It was the rope attached to the 
canvas-bucket used for drawing water to wash 
the deck, and had been thrown to him by an old 
sailor whom they called " Dutch Sam." But 
alas ! the iron hoop struck him on the head, and, 
stunned, he sank as if for the last time ; and his 
men gave up all hope of his rising again. 




CHAPTER XXIX. 




\5UTCH SAM had kept his eye on the 
spot where William had disappeared, 
resolved to save him, if possible ; 
and when he rose again to the surface, he man- 
aged, with great risk to himself, to throw a rope 
around him, and, with the aid of the others, to 
draw him on to the wreck. But the deck was 
still under water, with the waves breaking over 
it, and there was no safety there ; so they were 
forced to find it in the rigging which was left. 
With genuine sailor kindness, they bore their 
unconscious master aloft, and lashed him to the 
fore-arm, or between that and another mast which 
we have not skill enough in nautical terms to 
name. And there they applied such remedies as 
they had at hand for his restoration to conscious- 
ness. 

At the expiration of two hours he awoke to 
life again, with a deep sense of the realities which 

2S0 



AND BETHEL WORK. 28 1 

had so crowded on his mind while in the grasp 
of death beneath the waves. He felt the hand 
and the eye of God on him, and he was not 
ashamed to speak of it. The solemnities of the 
eternal world gathered around his spirit with this 
strange and almost miraculous restoration to life, 
and he acknowledged to those about him the 
power and love that had spared him from a watery 
grave. He asked his men to assist him in his 
weakness, while he kneeled among the rigging ; 
and there, amid the wild moaning of the winds, 
and the angry roaring of the billows that broke 
over their frail refuge, and in presence of the 
crew, he called mightily on the God of the seas 
for mercy. He confessed, in deep humility, his 
many and daring sins against God and his fellow- 
creatures, called on God for pardon, and pledged 
himself, with his help, to lead a new life thence- 
forward. 

And from that hour, although he walked often 
in darkness, anH through strange paths, for want 
of some one to lead him directly to Christ in 
simple faith, he never returned to his old, careless 
life. He felt this to be God's final call to him, 
and dared not disobey it. 



282 PHINEAS ST OWE 

The wrecked mariners had now to look their 
situation full in the face, and to decide on some 
means for preserving life. When the fury of the 
waves had somewhat subsided, those of them 
who were able — the captain was sorely bruised 
and suffering from the violence with which he 
had been beaten by the waves — descended from 
the rigging, and cut open the hatches, hoping 
that some of their supplies might have escaped 
injury from the salt water, which had found its 
way down through crack and seam. Although 
their water and biscuit were ruined, they suc- 
ceeded in getting one or two demijohns of whis- 
key, a barrel of turnips, and two geese. These 
last the captain had bought on the day of sailing, 
to keep for a Christmas dinner, — one for the 
cabin, and one for the steerage, — little dreaming 
of the style in which they were to be cooked and 
served. He took charge of the whiskey himself, 
dealing it out only as a remedy against cold and 
exhaustion, and they sliced the turnips, and laid 
bits on their tongues, to quench their thirst. 

Christmas morning rose bright and clear, the 
sea being as placid as an inland lake, without a 
ripple to tell of the angry tempest which had so 



AND BETHEL WORK. 283 

lately lashed it into wild fury, and so nearly in- 
gulfed this helpless crew. The men were full of 
life and gladness, and they sang and whistled as 
they walked the deck, or scaled the frail rigging 
of the disabled bark. The captain ordered the 
great tar-kettle to be brought up, and a fire made 
in it of all the broken bits of timber to be found 
about. Cook-house and utensils having all been 
washed overboard, they now made both stove and 
pot of the tar-kettle. Having burned down the 
sticks and staves to coals, the captain ordered the 
two geese to be laid upon them, and without salt, 
or pepper, or savory herbs, with only a strong 
flavor of tar for seasoning, they roasted and ate 
them. Their only vegetable was raw turnips ; but 
our hero says to-day that that goose of which he 
partook on Christmas day, 1864, was to him the 
most delicious morsel he ever tasted in his life ! 

After being several days on the wreck, the 
crew were taken off by a vessel bound for a dis- 
tant port. The American consul secured return 
passages for such of the crew as wished to come 
back, and, after many weeks, William again stood 
on the wharf in Boston, without a shelter and 
without a dollar, as poor as it was possible for a 
mortal man to be ! 



284 PHINEAS ST OWE 

Walking up from the wharf, his eye fell on the 
sign, " Mariner's Exchange," and he wondered what 
kind of a place it could be. As he must at once 
secure a berth on some ship, he resolved to see 
if this might not be the best place to make in- 
quiries. He was in a sorry plight, as far as clo- 
thing was concerned, and was not ambitious of 
presenting himself before any who were fastidious 
in their tastes. He ascended the stairway merely 
to glance at the place. It was not an office, as 
he had expected, but a large room, seated like a 
vestry. There was but one solitary man there, 
or, as he described him, " a fine-looking gentle- 
man, sitting alone at the desk." As soon as he 
caught sight of the gentleman, William made 
good his retreat, not caring to encounter him in 
his present condition. But before he reached the 
street he was seized with a desire to catch an- 
other glimpse of that kind and noble face. He 
stepped softly up the stairs again, and took a 
stealthy look ; but now he was seen himself, and 
Phineas Stowe raised those eyes which death has 
not yet veiled from the memory of those who 
knew him, and with his hand beckoned him to 
approach. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 285 

William hung back, and would have retreated ; 
but there was no way of escaping from the power 
of that man's love. Mr. Stowe approached him, 
and asked, " Are you a sailor, friend ? " And 
being answered in the affirmative, he asked, 
again, " My friend, do you love the Lord Jesus 
Christ?" 

Deeply as William's mind was impressed with 
a sense of his sins and his need of a Saviour, it 
was in great darkness ; and he was utterly igno- 
rant of the glorious fullness there is in Christ 
Jesus ; so he could not say, " I love him." 
When, on further questioning him, Mr. Stowe 
learned that his soul was crying out after God, 
he took him apart into a little closet, partitioned 
off from the Exchange, where were two chairs, 
a bin of coal, and some kindling wood — a very 
humble place to seek God in. And there that 
man of God poured out his great soul in prayer 
for this poor, forlorn-looking sailor with as deep 
fervor as if he had been praying for the soul of a 
prince. Perhaps he had withdrawn to the Ex- 
change at this hour, as his Master used to visit 
the olive-grove, to pray alone. Perhaps he had 
just been asking God to send him, that very 



286 PHINEAS STOWE 

hour, some son of the sea, whom he might lead 
to himself. 

This visit from our poor young sailor was 
doubtless in answer to some prayer of his, and 
the blessing hung over and filled his waiting 
spirit. He prayed, and his visitor prayed also ; 
and when they rose from their knees, William 
was no longer a stranger, homeless and hungry. 
Phineas Stowe took him into his home and his 
heart. He clothed him, he fed him, he ministered 
unto him, and in so doing he ministered unto the 
Lord he loved ; and in reference to those acts, as 
well as to hundreds of like ones, he has long ago 
heard the sweet music of these words : " Inas- 
much as ye have done it unto one of the least of 
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." And 
while William Butler is laboring in great weak- 
ness and suffering, he is inheriting the kingdom 
prepared for those who love God and do his will. 
Very soon they will meet again, and review the 
way the Lord brought them together, and in 
blessed reunion sing the song of victory. 



CHAPTER XXX. 




TURING the first interview between the 
pastor of the Bethel and the friend of 
whom we are "writing, the mind of the 
latter became very deeply impressed by a remem- 
brance of his broken vows, for, his conscience 
not being enlightened, he had still kept up his 
custom of taking a glass of whiskey whenever 
he met an old shipmate, and even that day had 
drank more than once. Mr. Stowe saw that that 
sin was a great obstacle in his way to God, and 
pointed out his danger from it. He urged him 
to remain in the Exchange to the three o'clock 
prayer meeting, and induced him to sign the 
temperance pledge. 

When the hour came, and Mr. Stowe opened 
the meeting, William felt that all his remarks 
were aimed directly at him, and that every one 
who spoke or prayed had become, in some unac- 
countable way, acquainted with his personal his- 

287 



288 PHINEAS ST OWE 

tory and experience. Towards the close of the 
meeting, Mr. Stowe asked if there were any 
there who desired the prayers of God's people, 
and he alone arose. With a sincere desire for 
God's blessing on his soul, he asked, with broken 
utterance, for prayer. Mr. Stowe walked towards 
him, laid his hand on his head, knelt down beside 
him, and poured out his full soul to God for par- 
don and assurance of acceptance for the stranger. 
Then he called on William to pray for himself; 
but so great was the burden of his sins, and his 
grief on account of them, that he could not utter 
a word. He was dumb before the Lord. 

When the meeting was over, and the people 
gone, Mr. Stowe remained alone with this new- 
found object of solicitude. "Are you willing 
now," he asked, " to give up all for Christ ? " 
And being answered in the affirmative, he asked 
again, "Are you willing to kneel down here and 
pray for yourself?" And as they kneeled to- 
gether, and Mr. Stowe was praying, with great 
tears coursing down his cheeks, that God would 
open the lips of the young stranger, that he might 
pray for himself, William's mouth was unsealed, 
and he cried out, " Lord, have mercy on me, a 



AND BETHEL WORK. 289 

poor sinner." With this prayer a sudden light 
broke in on his soul ; his burden and his anguish 
were gone, and he rejoiced in the God of his 
salvation. 

He rose to his feet, saying, "All is right now," 
and threw his arms around the neck of his new 
friend. Then Mr. Stowe, with hands uplifted, 
sang,— 

"There are angels hovering round, 
To carry the tidings home." 

"God bless you, my brother," he exclaimed, 
when his song was ended. And William re- 
plied, " I was never so happy in all my life ; now 
tell me your name." For all this time he had 
not known -who his friend was. When he heard 
it was Phineas Stowe, he exclaimed, " Why, I've 
heard of you before. I heard of Father Stowe, 
years ago, in Honolulu." 

Finding that he had no boarding-place and no 
money, Mr. Stowe at once took him to a member 
of the Bethel Church whose house was a home 
for sailors, became responsible for his board 
there, and saved him from ever again knowing 
" the heart of a stranger." 

Who can ever tell of all the aching, homeless 
19 



29O PHINEAS ST OWE 

heads pillowed by this sailor's friend ; of the sad 
hearts he comforted ; of the guilty ones he saved 
from prison and from shame ; of the souls he 
led to Christ ? Eternity alone will reveal all. 
Already have these Christ-like words and deeds 
made his own rest glorious, and his song more 
melodious, in the land where the redeemed serve 
God day and night, without the shadow of sin to 
mar their holy joy. 

A new world now lay before our rover, and he 
was a rover no more. He had already entered 
into the rest which God has prepared for his 
people on this side of the river — a rest which 

"None but his loved ones know." 

As our young sailor, thenceforth called " Mr. 
Butler," was in absolute want of everything, it 
was necessary that he should secure a voyage 
with all possible haste. So, the next -morning, 
he walked down Commercial Street in search of 
one, and met a captain he had formerly known, 
who at once engaged him to go with him as 
chief mate to the West Indies, and advanced 
all the money he needed to prepare for his 
departure. He sailed with the blessing of that 



AND BETHEL WORK. 29 1 

saintly man upon him, and followed by his 
prayers — prayers that held him up by their 
mighty power with God, and shielded him like a 
breastplate from the arrows of the tempter. 

After an absence of about ten weeks, Mr. 
Butler returned with the vessel to Boston, and 
at once went to Mr. Stowe, to report his own 
Christian progress, and to enjoy that good man's 
blessed instructions. Mr. Stowe, being satisfied 
with his course in his absence, now proposed his 
being baptized, and uniting with the church. He 
explained the duty, which was a new one to Mr. 
Butler, and directed him to the various passages 
in Scripture which explain the significance of 
baptism, and the obligation of Christians to sub- 
mit to it ; but the vessel was ordered away at 
once, so that he had no opportunity of coming 
before the church. 

His next voyage was to South America, and he 
was absent four months and a half. The return 
voyage was a peculiarly trying one. They met 
with violent storms while nearing home, and they 
were in great danger of being wrecked on the 
coast. The men were obliged to work through 
storm and danger, to save the ship, and for sev- 



292 PHINEAS ST OWE 

eral days before landing they were all drenched 
with water, never having time or opportunity to 
dry their garments. But through all danger 
and temptation he had maintained his integrity, 
and been true to the vows he had made on that 
happy day in the Mariner's Exchange. He 
proved that a sailor can be a strict temperance 
man at sea, without endangering his life, even in 
tempest and cold. He had, on his last voyages 
as chief mate, ordered the Sabbath to be kept 
strictly as a day of rest, trying to impress on the 
minds of the sailors his own belief in God, and 
the duty of obeying his commands. But they, 
glad as they would have been of a day without 
hard labor, expressed doubts whether it would be 
possible to keep all in order without swabbing 
the decks and mending their clothes on Sunday. 
But he arranged matters in such an admirable 
way, that Saturday afternoon was their own, and 
thus they had no excuse for cleaning and mend- 
ing on the Lord's day. 

He forbade all rough or profane language in a 
most decided manner, and although the captain 
cared little for God, he offered no objection to 
the new rules of morality which were now made 



AND BETHEL WORK. 293 

binding on his men. The work went on so well, 
and the day of perfect rest, on which the sailors 
lay about the decks, reading and conversing, was 
so grateful to the poor fellows, that they freely 
acknowledged the success of the new plan. 
There was no quarrelling, nor swearing, nor dis- 
satisfaction during the passage home. 

At length, after hard experience on the coast, 
they landed on Boston flats just at midnight, on 
the last day of 1865. As they were mooring 
their vessel, and dropping anchor, the city bells 
began to ring "the old year out, and the new 
year in," and the mate cried out, regardless of 
those about him, " Father Stowe is now upon his 
knees at prayer." The sailors may have thought 
him crazed, but his heart was with the praying 
souls in the Bethel, and their saintly leader, and 
he longed to leap the distance that intervened, 
and join them at the throne of grace. 

On landing, and mingling again with God's 
people, the duty of being baptized pressed heav- 
ily on his mind ; but still there was an obstacle 
in his way. The ship was to sail on a six 
months' voyage before another church meeting 
for the admission of candidates. His duty, how- 



294 PHINEAS ST OWE 

ever, became so plain that he resolved to do it, 
and leave the consequences with Him whom he 
sought to honor. Thus he lost his voyage in the 
ship in which he had been so successful. He 
was baptized by Mr. Stowe on the 4th of Feb- 
ruary, 1866. _ 

It was now necessary that he should ship 
again, and his desire was, of course, to go either 
as captain or chief mate. But no such opening 
occurred, and his little money was rapidly melt- 
ing away. Then he betook himself to prayer. 
He pleaded with God that, as he had sacrificed 
his place to honor him, he would now open some 
other door, whereby he might earn his honest 
bread, and through which he might enter into 
labor for him, and for the soul of the sailor. But 
still he was looking for a place of respectability 
and influence on shipboard. No answer coming 
to his prayer, and no result from his unwearied 
efforts, it occurred to him that a lack of humility 
might stand in the way of the blessing he craved. 
He then went humbly to God, and promised to 
accept cheerfully and gratefully any work he 
might lay put for him, even if it were to go be- 
fore the mast again. He now went to various 



AND BETHEL WORK. 295 

shipping-offices, and everywhere else where there 
was any chance of his meeting with an opening. 
But still in vain. 

One day, walking up Lewis Street, he saw an 
advertisement at the door of a shipping-office for 
a man to go on a coasting voyage. On inquiry, 
he found it was in a coal vessel to Philadelphia 
and back — a place considered among sailors as 
the poorest and meanest of all berths. 

But he was in earnest search of work, and had 
promised God to take whatever presented itself 
first : so this man, who had been mate of a for- 
eign ship when but a boy ; who had possessed 
thousands of dollars in his own right ; who had 
worn with honor the uniform of his country ; and 
had sailed master of a bark, partly his own, — 
agreed to take this place, and become little more 
than a coal-heaver. In this step he set a bright 
example to many more public servants of Christ, 
who, unless they can work in a prominent part 
of the vineyard, refuse to work there at all, and 
retire to some secular employment. No place is 
small or mean to which God appoints any of his 
servants. But when he said, " I will take the 
place," the broker looked at him, and replied, 



2g6 PHINEAS ST OWE 

" This is not a fit place for you ; and besides that, 
I have promised it to a young man, if his land- 
lord will let him sail without settling his bill." 
While they were talking, the young man referred 
to came in and accepted the place. 

Now even this poor and uninviting door was 
shut against him, and it seemed — as it has 
seemed to many more of God's beloved ones 
while he was trying their faith — as if there was 
no place in all the wide world for him. 

He left this office, and went directly to his 
sympathizing friend, and told him all his perplex- 
ities, well knowing that if he could not help, he 
would surely pity him. " My brother," said his 
pastor, " the Lord will not let you go to sea. He 
has something better for you to do. You must 
take charge of the shipping-office of the Mar- 
iner's Exchange." 

Mr. Butler went to his boarding-house, and 
prayed over this matter, realizing how great an 
opening it would offer for usefulness among sail- 
ors ; and, fully convinced that God, after shutting 
all other doors, had opened this one, and that it 
was his will that he should labor here, he returned 
to Mr. Stowe, and accepted the place, without 



AND BETHEL WORK. 



297 



any fixed compensation, as a volunteer for one 
year. .During that time his labors were abun- 
dant and his trials many, but he rejoiced in the 
thought that his rovings were ended, and he had 
found rest for himself and work for Christ. 




CHAPTER XXXI. 



|js|Mp3 HUS far the story of this eventful life 
had been written when the subject of 
it was called away from the toil which 
to him was both rest and worship, to the holier 
and unending service of Heaven. It now be- 
comes our duty to fill up the sketch, and to show 
how gently and peacefully our friend was led 
through the dark valley, and across the river to 
the shining shore. 

About two years after becoming superintend- 
ent of the Exchange, Mr. Butler formed the ac- 
quaintance of Miss Katy McMellan, who was in 
the employ of Mr. Toles, at the " Little Wander- 
ers' Home," and a member of the Springfield 
Street Presbyterian Church ; but she occasionally 
went into the Bethel in stormy weather. It was 
there that, while showing kind attentions to ev- 
ery stranger, Mr. Butler became interested in her 
appearance, and resolved to find out who she was. 

298 



AND BETHEL WORK. 299 

And this he did without delay ; for at the first 
sight of her, as she took a seat quietly in the slip 
before him one stormy Sunday evening, he said 
to himself, " That is the first woman I ever saw 
that I should care to marry." 

At this time Mr. Butler was living on almost 
nothing, trusting for his daily bread to God and 
to Phineas Stowe, both of whom were dearer 
than life to him. If Mr. Stowe had money in 
his hand, Mr. Butler shared it ; if not, he shared 
the pressure, and made no complaints. 

It may be seen that this was not, at this time, a 
very desirable match, in a pecuniary point of view 
— particularly to a practical, hard-working young 
girl who knew what it cost to live in a city like ours. 
In a few months from the beginning of their ac- 
quaintance, Mr. Butler proposed being married at 
once. Such had been his roving life, and so little 
had he learned to care for money, that he had no 
fears of the burdens he desired to assume. All 
he had to offer a wife was a true heart, with shat- 
tered constitution, and a debt of several hundred 
dollars, which he was sanguine of liquidating at 
no distant day ; how he was to do this was to be 
an after consideration with him. 



300 PHINEAS ST OWE 

But the sound good sense of Katy McMellan 
saved them from this hasty step, and six months 
were spent by them both in plans to slay " the 
wolf," before they had a door of their own for 
him to enter. Probably, as far as our rover was 
concerned, money matters did not grow much 
brighter, nor yet promise to do so ; so Katy, after 
some months, accepted the situation, and put her 
own powers to work to brighten the future. She 
did not — as some ambitious girls would have 
done — urge him to go back to his old profession, 
or to seek lucrative business on land. She saw 
that he was doing a great work, and she encour- 
aged him to stand at the helm, while she bent 
her energies to make up deficiencies. The first 
thing her Scotch heart prompted her to do, in- 
stead of shining out in wedding finery to be 
envied by her associates, was to look that debt 
of his bravely in the face ; then, little by little, 
to diminish it ; and it was not long after their 
marriage before they owed no man anything but 
love. 

Thus far Mr. Butler had been employed only 
by Mr. Stowe personally, and that without any 
stated salary. On the death of the pastor, the 



AND BETHEL WORK. 



301 



Board of the Bethel appointed him officially as 
Superintendent of the Exchange, on a mod- 
erate salary, which was afterwards raised to one 
thousand dollars. Thenceforth he wrought with 
an easy mind. 




CHAPTER XXXII. 




OR the last six months of his life Mr. 
Butler was the subject of great phys- 
ical suffering. Early in the summer 
of 1873, after a violent attack of hemorrhage, 
which greatly reduced his strength, his friends in- 
duced him to go for a few weeks to New Hamp- 
shire, in the hope that the invigorating air of the 
hills might benefit him. Previous to this he had 
been greatly depressed in spirits. There was a 
terrible struggle of nature before he could resign 
the wife and child to whom he was so tenderly 
attached ; but there was a still greater cause of 
anxiety than even this. As he drew nearer and 
nearer to the eternal world, and felt that he must 
soon meet God face to face, he was overwhelmed 
with a view of his majesty and holiness, and 
deeply impressed with his own sinfulness and 
weakness. 

Sometimes he was so troubled that he could 

302 



AND BETHEL WORK. 303 

not sleep. Once, when he had been long in 
prayer, and the night was waning, his wife re- 
minded him of the importance of rest, and 
urged him to retire. But he refused to do so, 
saying that he must spend the whole night in 
prayer. And this deep awe and solemnity lin- 
gered on his spirit till he left his home for New 
Hampshire ; but while absent this dark cloud 
was dispelled, and when he returned home the 
light and peace of God filled his soul and illu- 
mined his countenance. He had given up his 
wife and child, his life, and the work he loved. 
Thenceforth his peace was like a river, and he 
was ready and waiting to enter the higher and 
holier service of heaven, and looked forward with 
joyful anticipation to the day that was to bring 
him face to face with Him whom his soul loved. 

Being now somewhat stronger, he again took 
up his work at the Exchange, although it was 
with great difficulty that he did so. When urged 
to remain quietly at home, he said, " I must go 
while I can ; for even if I cannot talk, the sailors 
love to see me there." And so it was. He 
had not wrought so long and so lovingly for 
them without gaining their love and confidence 



304 PHINEAS ST OWE 

in return. But one day he came home feeling 
that his work was ended there, and that he had 
now only to fold his hands in submission, and 
wait till his change should come. 

Many of the sailors who frequented the Ex- 
change had left their bank books in Mr. Butler's 
hands for safe-keeping. When he felt that his 
work on earth was nearly done, he gave back the 
books, as he saw their owners, till he had but one 
left. On one of the last days of his life he heard 
that the owner of this book was in port, and he 
sent for him to come to his bedside. The shad- 
ows were falling, the gas had not yet been lighted, 
when this young man, in whose soul Mr. Butler 
had been deeply interested, came in and ap- 
proached him cheerily with the question, " How 
are you, old fellow ? " 

Mr. Butler could say but little, but he seemed 
rejoiced to meet his friend once more. He called 
for a light to be brought near, saying, " I want to 
see how S. looks." He could not ask many 
questions ; but he felt that the face would tell all 
he wished to know. When the light was set on 
a table, and shone full on the face of his friend, 
he looked earnestly at him for a moment, then 



AND BETHEL WORK. 305 

sighed, and exclaimed, " Ah, poor S. ! " closed his 
eyes, and doubtless offered up his last prayer for 
this young sailor he loved so tenderly. 

A few days before his death, when Mrs. Butler 
returned to the room after a few moments' ab- 
sence, he asked her if she had " heard the sing- 
ing ; " to which she replied in the negative. He 
seemed surprised, and said that he heard it very 
plainly, even the words, and that the voice was 
very familiar to his ear. She assured him he had 
been dreaming ; but he said, " No, I have not ; I 
heard the voice, and it was that of Mr. Stowe, 
singing, — 

" s Hosanna, Hosanna, 

To the Lamb of God ! ' " 

Those who remember the power and the holy 
fervor with which the departed pastor sang the 
triumphant songs of Zion here in the wilderness, 
can imagine the effect of his higher notes upon 
the parting soul of one saved through his instru- 
mentality, if indeed he was allowed to catch them 
as he stood on the border-land. And who shall 
dare to say that a great gulf, across which no 
glimpse is caught, no sound heard, lies between 
us and the home of our ransomed ones ? 
20 



306 PHINEAS STOWE 

" It lies around us like a cloud, 
A world we do not see ; 
Yet the sweet closing of an eye 
May bring us there to be. 

" Its gentle breezes fan our cheek, 
Amid our worldly cares ; 
Its gentle voices whisper love, 
And mingle with our prayers. 

11 Sweet hearts around us throb and beat, 
Sweet helping hands are stirred, 
And palpitates the veil between 
With breathings almost heard." 

Day by day, and hour by hour, his strength 
failed ; but he gave directions for his burial, and 
made provision for his little one in case his wife 
should be taken away during her childhood, pla- 
cing her in the care of a friend to whom he was 
tenderly attached, and from whom he had re- 
ceived many tokens of friendship in the days 
when he needed a friend. 

When told by his wife, just before the dawn of 
the Sabbath, that he was passing away, he re- 
plied, "All is well." Who, in passing from earth 
to the unseen world beyond, could say more than 
this ? And very soon after, the light of the long 
Sabbath of heaven dawned on his enraptured 
vision. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 307 

His funeral was attended at the Bethel on 
Tuesday, November 4, 1873. A large congrega- 
tion gathered there to show their love and respect 
for the dead. Beautiful and touching remarks 
were made by Rev. Dr. Neale, and by the pastor 
of the Bethel, alluding to the eventful life and 
peaceful end of our friend. Other ministers as- 
sisted, and a closing service was read by the 
members of Radiant Star Temple of Honor, with 
which the deceased had been connected. 

His remains were, according to his own ar- 
rangement, borne to Woodlawn Cemetery, there 
to await the blissful awakening which shall unite 
his glorified body with the redeemed soul, and 
perfect the joy of his unending " rest." 







mm 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 




A Sketch of the Boston Baptist Bethel 
Society. 

BY REV. JEREMIAH CHAPLIN, D. D. 

N the year 1818, the Rev. George C. 
Smith, an English Baptist minister, 
then settled on the coast of Cornwall, 
being on a visit to London, attended a prayer 
meeting for sailors, probably on shipboard, by 
which his heart was so much drawn out in sym- 
pathy for that then much neglected class, that he 
resolved thenceforth to devote himself to their 
welfare as a preacher on shipboard. Something 
had been done earlier than this, in giving the 
Bible to seamen, preparatory to such an effort ; 
but it is quite certain that to him belongs the 
honor of being the first " sailor-preacher." This 
was fifty-six years ago. 

In the year 1826 the American Seaman's 

308 



AND BETHEL WORK. 309 

Friend Society was organized in New York. The 
first idea of a seaman's missionary in a foreign 
port is said to have been suggested by the Rev. 
Dr. Morrison, missionary to China, in a letter to 
the London Bethel Union Society, urging them 
to send a chaplain to Canton. 

In the year 1829 the idea was taken up in 
the United States, when the American Seaman's 
Friend Society sent its first missionary, Rev. Mr. 
Abeel, to China. Since that time many cities, 
in various parts of the world, have been adopted 
as fields for similar work, in some of which, 
chapels, reading-rooms, boarding-houses, savings- 
banks, &c, have been established for the special 
benefit of seafaring men. 

The first Bethel effort in Boston originated in 
the year 181 8, with Rev. (afterwards Dr.) William 
Jenks, subsequently, for so many years, the well- 
known pastor of the Green Street Congrega- 
tional Church. 

About the year 1866 the Salem Congregational 
and the Mariners' Churches were united, under 
the patronage of the Boston Seaman's Friend 
Society. For several years the Rev. S. H. Hayes 
has been the pastor, and is doing a most excel- 



310 PHINEAS STOWE 

lent work among seamen as well as among the 
resident population. In connection with this 
church is a Scandinavian prayer meeting, con- 
ducted by a Norwegian. 

In the year 1828 some members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church formed the " Port Society 
of Boston and Vicinity," and the next year, under 
its auspices, " Father " Taylor began his labors as 
Mariners' Preacher in Boston, which office he 
held till his death, in 1871. 

The Methodists of Boston were not at that 
time the rich and influential body that they are 
now, and soon found themselves unable to meet 
the growing demands of the enterprise. The so- 
ciety was transferred to the Unitarians, who stood 
ready to assume its support, and who have ever 
since given it their liberal patronage. The 
preacher is appointed by the Methodist New- 
England Conference. Rev. George S. Noyes is 
now the faithful pastor of the Bethel Church 
in North Square. 

Nearly thirty years ago, Rev. John P. Robin- 
son, an Episcopal clergyman, commenced labor- 
ing among seamen in a small hall on North 
Street. At the time of his death, in 1871, his 



AND BETHEL WORK. 31 1 

society owned a fine church edifice on Pannenter 
Street. Mr. Robinson's son-in-law, Rev. Mr. 
Peirce, is the present rector of the Church of St. 
Mary. 

The first Bethel movement in Boston under 
the auspices of the Baptists was made in 1843, 
but with no marked success. It was the begin- 
ning, however, of greater things. In 1845 the 
cause of seamen was taken up in real earnest, a 
Baptist Bethel Society being organized in June 
of that year by a committee of three, — Thomas 
Richardson, William Crowell, and Frederick 
Gould, — chosen for that purpose by the differ- 
ent churches in the city and vicinity. "It was 
formed," says the committee, "after several pre- 
liminary meetings, and much inquiry, delibera- 
tion, and prayer, by a delegation from all, or 
nearly all, the churches, chosen for that purpose, 
and with the cordial approbation of all the pas- 
tors." A hall was opened at the corner of Lewis 
and Commercial Streets for religious services, 
which were conducted by Rev. Phineas Stowe, 
who had just been called to that work. 

A paper found since his death, among his 
manuscripts, written about the year 1868, refers 



312 PHINEAS ST OWE 

to this period, and may be appropriately intro- 
duced here, especially as showing the unselfish 
and magnanimous spirit which brought him to 
this field : — 

" One of our tried friends has recently passed 
away — Dea. Thomas Richardson. I shall never 
forget the joy he gave me when almost a stranger 
in the city. He was one of the founders of the 
Boston Baptist Bethel Society, and was appoint- 
ed a committee to procure for it a chaplain. 
I preached for the society a few times, and then 
returned to New Haven. I was encouraged to 
go to a church in New York, but before doing 
so, thought I would visit Boston, not having 
heard from there since I left. On my arrival, 
the news greeted me that a man had been pro- 
cured for the Bethel. I did not reproach myself 
for not remaining when here, as some advised, 
and giving the brethren no opportunity of hear- 
ing different gifts. I chose to act independently, 
and, as it afterwards appeared, judiciously and 
wisely. When near the house of my old friend 
Hill, I met Dea. Richardson, who, with extended 
hands and a face beaming with smiles, exclaimed, 
1 Brother Stowe, I am glad to see you. I have 



AND BETHEL WORK. 313 

just been directed by the Boston Baptist Bethel 
Society to write to you to come and take charge 
of the Bethel/ and, said he, ' You must preach for 
us to-night at the First Church.' I am satisfied 
that the Lord, and not man, directed me to this 
vast field." 

The arrival of Mr. Stowe created a fresh inter- 
est in the Bethel cause, and public meetings of 
the society were held from time to time for the 
purpose of presenting its work and wants to the 
churches. In February, 1846, at one of these 
meetings, stirring addresses were made by Rev. 
Dr. Cushman, Dr. Neale, and others, and encour- 
aging letters were read from Rev. Dr. Sharp 
and Dr. Hague. At the close, a hymn was sung, 
written for the occasion by Mr. Stowe, from 
which we select a single verse : — 

" Great Redeemer! may the seamen, 

On the bosom of the deep, 

Feel the influence of this meeting, 

And a golden harvest reap : 

Light is breaking 

For the children of the deep." 

In April, the same year, another meeting was 
held at the Bowdoin Square Church, which was 
addressed by Rev. Messrs. Blain, Colver, and 



314 PHINEAS STOWE 

Hague. The report of the committee stated the 
expenses for the past year to have been ten hun- 
dred and seventy-one dollars, and the receipts 
eight hundred and nine dollars and thirty cents. 
It spoke in the strongest terms of the success 
attending the labors of Mr. Stowe, and adverted 
to the growing interest in the Bethel cause 
among the churches. It was estimated that 
one thousand dollars would meet the wants of 
the society for the ensuing year, four hundred 
of which were expected to come from contribu- 
tions by seamen and the Ladies' Bethel Societies. 
For the remainder, the society must look to the 
generosity of the friends of the enterprise in the 
churches. 

In July, 1846, the committee of the society, con- 
sisting of nineteen brethren, from nine churches, 
issued a circular, in which they stated, that though 
the society was begun as an experiment, the first 
year's trial had exceeded their highest hopes. 
They were, therefore, encouraged to make an ear- 
nest appeal to the churches for further assistance. 

The names of the committee and churches are 
as follows : — 



AND BETHEL WORK. 315 

Union Street Church, 
Thomas Richardson, Jos. Urann, 

S. G. Shipley, Eben Carter. 

Baldwin Place Church. 
Fred. Gould, Jonas Forristall, 

Lewis Jones, Neh. Nelson. 

S. H. Lewis, 

Charles Street Church. 
S. S. Greene, S. A. Wheelock. 

Federal Street Church. 
William Crowell. 

Bowdoin Square Church. 
Benj. Smith, Moses Pond. 

Harvard Street Church. 
Wm. W. Keith, C. S. Kendall. 

Tremont Street Church. 
Wm. A. Holland. 

South Baptist Church. 
Solon Jenkins. 

Friend Street Church, 
Geo. W. Chipman. 



316 PHINEAS STOWE 

According to the constitution of the society, 
every Baptist church electing two members an- 
nually, and contributing to its funds, becomes, in 
part, owner and manager of the Bethel Church 
property ; and this property can never be dis- 
posed of except by a vote of the society. As 
new churches have sprung up, in the course of 
years, in Boston and vicinity, they have evinced 
a deep interest in the Bethel cause, so that at 
present the society has a membership represent- 
ing thirty-one churches. 

The work of the society has gradually extended, 
embracing now several departments, — the Church 
proper (which, however, has its own independent 
action), the Sunday School, the Mariners' Ex- 
change, a Temperance organization, besides a 
great amount of general work, — involving an an- 
nual expense of some five thousand dollars, more 
than two thousand of which come from the church. 

The purchase, in 1864, of the present church 
edifice, on Hanover Street, was an important 
event in the history of the society. The Bethel 
work, under Mr. Stowe's indefatigable and greatly 
successful labors, had far outgrown existing ac- 
commodations, and rendered a removal from the 



AND BETHEL WORK. 317 

small and inconvenient hall to a larger and more 
commodious building an absolute necessity. 

The death of Phineas Stowe, in 1868, seemed, 
for the time, to spread a dark cloud over the en- 
terprise to which he really fell a martyr ; but the 
cause itself is greater than any man, is the cause 
of God and humanity, and could not be retarded 
by his removal. The deep foundations which he 
had laid, through long years, in prayer and self- 
sacrifice, were to abide as a memorial of his great 
heart ; and never has the Bethel Society been 
more prosperous than at present, in connection 
with the unwearied and faithful labors of Rev. 
Mr. Cooke and his estimable lady. In every 
department, under the general supervision of the 
society, there are abundant signs of encourage- 
ment, bidding it go forward in its work of benev- 
olence. 

The paramount claim which the Bethel Society 
has upon the active sympathies of the denom- 
ination, arises from its immediate relation to sea- 
men — a claim which no Christian can fail to 
acknowledge. To seamen we owe the mighty 
debt involved in the general commission of the 
Saviour ; in the special circumstances of trial, 



318 PHINEAS STOWE 

exposure, and temptation which pertain to their 
hazardous and migratory calling ; and in the ben- 
efits to commerce and almost every department 
of our social life which accrue to us from their 
privations and hardships. To this seamen's work 
let the Bethel Society ever be specially and chiefly 
consecrated. 

But one or two other considerations have great 
weight, especially with the churches in Boston 
and vicinity. The Bethel Church stands quite 
alone in the north part of the city as a repre- 
sentative of our denomination. The field it occu- 
pies is eminently a missionary one, in a general 
way, aside from the work which specially claims 
its attention. Besides, the Bethel Society is the 
only object in which all our churches are united, 
by their several delegates. Here is a strong 
bond of fraternal union, entirely voluntary and 
un-ecclesiastical, but for that reason calculated to 
constitute a mutual fellowship peculiarly unself- 
ish and elevating. 

From this rapid review of the history of the 
Boston Baptist Bethel Society, it is evident that 
it has received most signal tokens of the divine 
favor. Sacred memories cluster around its early 



AND BETHEL WORK. 319 

years, of men of God, either gone to their reward 
or still lingering among us, who gave to its inter- 
ests their best thoughts and their' self-denying 
efforts, and secured for it so excellent a name 
before the world. The thirty-one churches now 
represented in it by a membership of sixty-two — 
an increase of forty-three in twenty-seven years 
— have received a most valuable trust, to be kept' 
undefiled, and to be rendered more and more 
effective in the cause of religion and humanity. 

The growth of the society, and of the various 
departments under its care, involves greater re- 
sponsibilities and an increased outlay. We invite 
other churches to share in this work. We ap- 
peal to churches and Christians all over the land. 
As regards seamen, Boston is but the centre of 
a wide circumference. Our mariners come from 
every section of the land, and our ships visit every 
quarter of the globe. What other single church 
touches so many points in the wide spiritual field, 
as does the Bethel Society, with its Church, its 
Sunday School, and its Mariners' Exchange ? 

The members of the board of trustees of the 
Bethel Society are elected annually ; several have 
served on the board for many years, and have 



320 PHINEAS STOWE 

rendered constant aid to the former and the pres- 
ent pastor. The following are the names of the 
members for 1 873-1 874. 

Hon. J. M. S. Williams, President. 
C. A. Vialle, Secretary. 
R. Holm an, Treasurer. 

First Baptist Church, Boston, 
William H. Foster, S. F. Dodge. 

Warren Avenue, 
P. J. Forristall, George L. Norris. 

Charles Street, 
Robert Campbell, B. N. Adams. 

Clarendon Street, 
W. D. Thayer, I. O. Whiting. 

Harvard Street, 
G. A. Prescott, C. D. White. 

Bowdoin Square, 
J. C. Simpson, G. F. Paine. 

South Baptist, 
H. P. Hanson, Henry McCoy. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 32 1 

Union Temple, 
Albert C. Hopkins, Austin S. Hawley. 

Shawmut Avenue, 
E. W. Capen, William Beals. 

Central Square, 
N. Litchfield, Augustus Reed. 

Dudley Street, 
R. A. Howes, Dr. F. W. Goss. 

Dearborn Street, 
H. H. W. Edmunds, W. B. Stacey. 

Ruggles Street, 
H. W. Chaplin, J. B. Bates. 

St ought on Street, 
H. Lovett, J. C. Albright. 

Fourth Street, 
Rev. Andrew Pollard, Geo. F. Wadsworth. 

First, Cambridge, 
Hon. J. M. S. Williams, R. O. Fuller. 

Old Cambridge, 
Enoch H. Wakefield, Dr. Wilkes Allen. 

North Avenue, Cambridge, 
D. D. Haskell, D. H. Hayward. 

21 



322 PHINEAS ST OWE 

First, CJiar lest own, 
Prentiss Sargent, Edward Parke. 

Blinker Hill, 
W. W. Fish, Hiram J. Nason. 

Maiden, 
F. A. Smith, G. D. B. Blanchard. 

First, Chelsea, 
William H. Hart, Charles M. Trufant. 

Cary Avenue, 
N. P. H. Willis, Hervey Upham. 

Watertozvn, 
Delano March, W. A. Blodgett. 

Brookline, 
Samuel C. Davis, H. Lincoln Chase. 

Jamaica Plain, 
Rev. D. P. Morgan, Dea. Wm. Manning. 

Newton Centre, 
Thomas Nickerson, George P. Clark. 

Waltham, 
William S. Draper, Charles C. Bills. 

Perkins Street, Somcrvillc, 
N. L. Dayton, Theo. P. Daniels. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 323 

Newton, 
Col. Albert C. Pope, George H. Dupee. 

East Cambridge, 
A. Stewart, W. B. Savage. 

Bethel Church, 
R. Holman, E. B. Elliot, 

N. A. Fitch, A. Whittemore. 

Hon. J. M. S. Williams has been for a full 
quarter of a century interested in the Boston 
Baptist Bethel Society. Since 1855 he has been 
its president, aiding it greatly by his character- 
istic generosity and prompt attendance at its 
meetings. The secretary, who has held the office 
for several years, is a son of the late Stephen 
Vialle, for many years deacon of the Bethel 
Church. The treasurer was converted through 
the instrumentality of the work at Globe Hall, 
baptized by Mr. Stowe, and has during the past 
year contributed liberally for the promotion of 
Bethel work. 




CHAPTER XXXIV. 
Boston Ladies* Bethel Society. 

N a previous contribution to this volume- 
may be found an article entitled " In 
Memoriam," containing a short state- 
ment relative to the Boston Ladies' Bethel Soci- 
ety. The compiler of this work having consid- 
ered it important that a somewhat fuller statement 
should be rendered, we submit the following : — 
In the spring of 1846 a number of ladies, who 
had become interested in the labors of Mr. Stowe 
among seamen, met for consultation as to the 
best method of aiding him in his work, and 
agreed to appoint a committee for the purpose 
of calling a meeting of all ladies interested in the 
object, looking towards the formation of a society. 
The following week a meeting was held in the 
committee room of Bowdoin Square Church, which 
resulted in the organization of the Boston Ladies' 

324 



AND BETHEL WORK. $2$ 

Bethel Society. The officers chosen at that meet- 
ing were the following : Mrs. S. A. Blanchard, 
President ; Mrs. Abbie Shipley, Mrs. William 
Howe, Vice-Presidents ; Miss M. V. Ball, Secre- 
tary ; Mrs. Emily Woodman, Treasurer ; also 
Managers from nine different churches. 

Mr. Stowe was present at this meeting, offered 
prayer, made an interesting statement of his la- 
bors, and spoke of the great need of a society to 
which he could look for aid in his work among 
the poor and destitute families of sailors. 

The society was incorporated in 1855, and a 
beautiful certificate of life membership was pro- 
cured. Three " Sales " of useful articles and a 
" Festival" have been held by the society, which 
added several thousand dollars to the funds. 

In 1864 it paid thirteen thousand dollars to- 
wards the purchase of the Bethel Church. We 
well remember the enthusiasm with which Mr. 
Stowe came to us one morning, saying, " Here 
is my Autograph Book; now I shall know nothing 
for the next six months but Bethel, Bethel ! and I 
have faith to believe that I shall obtain all the 
funds we need in that time." He was not disap- 
pointed. 



326 PHINEAS STOWE 

The treasurer has invested some fifteen hun- 
dred dollars, hoping to accomplish an object dear 
to the heart of Mr. Stowe — the establishment 
of a "Sailor's Home," where, when seamen come to 
the city, they can find a comfortable retreat and 
respectable society, with friends to direct them to 
the house of God. We hope that some young man, 
like the lamented Jacobs, will place the Bethel 
cause among the objects to be remembered in the 
disposal of his property ; or that some of our sisters 
may be moved, as was the heart of her who was 
so lately with us (Mrs. S. Bowker), to give of their 
substance to complete this work of love. Two 
hundred dollars were left by her towards this fund. 

The society has also at interest overjbur hun- 
dred dollars for the purpose of enclosing the 
" Burial Lot for" Seamen," at Woodlawn Cem- 
etery, purchased by the beloved Stowe for the 
last resting-place of seamen who have no friends 
to give them respectable interment. 

The secretary's report for the present year tells 
us that in 1864 fourteen churches were repre- 
sented in our organization. To-day we number 
twenty-nine, having more than doubled our num- 
ber during the last ten years. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 327 

Monthly meetings of this society are held in 
the city and vicinity from October to June. 
Since the plan was adopted of meeting with 
the churches during eight months of the year, 
the society has increased tenfold in numbers, 
and the interest in Bethel work has greatly 
deepened among the churches represented. The 
most delightful harmony and social union pre- 
vail. " We feel the force of the words, ' Union 
is strength/ " says our secretary, in her last 
report, " as at the close of every meeting we 
hear the spontaneous testimony from all at part- 
ing, ' No meeting like the Bethel Circle,' " where, 
with one heart and one voice, pastors and peo- 
ple from the various churches unite to concen- 
trate their energies on this one great and glorious 
object, rejoicing in the blessed assurance "that the 
abundance of the sea shall be converted to God." 

We cannot close this brief sketch without al- 
luding to the faithful services of two of the former 
officers of the society, Mrs. Emily Woodman and 
Mrs. R. A. Sibley. The former served the soci- 
ety as treasurer for the first sixteen years, and by 
her faithful labors did much to promote its wel- 
fare and growth ; the latter ably filled the office 



328 PHINEAS ST OWE 

of secretary for seventeen years, and was indefat- 
igable in her exertions and constant devotion to 
its interests. The whole amount contributed by 
the society since 1846 for Bethel purposes is be- 
tween twenty-eight thousand and thirty thousand 
dollars. 

In closing, we take pleasure in alluding to the 
important services rendered by our excellent chap- 
lain at all meetings of the society ; and also his con- 
stant efforts to promote its prosperity among the 
various churches visited by him during the year. 

The officers chosen at the last annual meeting 
are as follows : — 

President, Miss M. V. Ball. 
Vice-Presidents, Mrs. Henry A. Cooke, 

" " Mrs. Edward Richardson. 

Secretary, Mrs. Hiram Jacobs. 
Assistant Secretary, Mrs. Grafton Parker. 
Treasurer, Mrs. Abbie Shipley. 

There are also Managers representing twenty- 
nine churches. 

Miss M. V. Ball, President. 
Mrs. H. Jacobs, Secretary. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

Seed Sowing. 



BY MRS. C. A. OGDEN. 

" So should we live that every hour 
May die as dies the natural flower, 
A self-reviving thing of power — 
That every thought and every deed 
May hold within itself the seed 
* Of future good and future need." 

NE soweth and another reapeth," yet 
the sower and the reaper shall at 
last meet and alike rejoice together 
over garnered ripened fruit. Before the Bethel 
Church was purchased (the thought even of its 
acquisition seemed almost chimerical), there came 
to its pastor a quickening, encouraging influence 
which continued unabated until he beheld the 
fruition of his dearest hope, a large and com- 
pleted house of worship for seamen. The seed 

329 




330 PHINEAS ST OWE 

of this good work was doubtless planted by the 
hand of a dying Christian, Mr. J. S. Jacobs, who 
passed away in the flower of youthful manhood, 
and whose last thoughts, shared by love for his 
kindred, were given to a cause that had become 
dear to his heart, and prompted the desire to 
leave some token of his sympathy and interest. 
His bequest to the society was the largest that 
had yet been given. To the sanguine, hopeful 
nature of the Bethel pastor this gave an impetus 
and encouragement which doubtless resulted in 
the ultimate collection of the twenty thousand 
dollars required for the new church edifice. Let 
us quote the words of the mother of this young 
disciple, who thus proved his faithful steward- 
ship. 

" We will draw aside the curtain for a moment 
with which time so soon shuts from the public 
view the sacred scenes where loved ones breathe 
their last, and enter the death-chamber of this 
cherished son. He is evidently entering the dark 
valley yet made luminous by the beams of the 
Sun of Righteousness. He is speaking in gentle, 
loving tones of sympathy to his kindred of the 
separation about to take place ; he is exhausted 



AND BETHEL WORK. 331 

with the effort, and seems to lapse into a quiet 
slumber, but he does not sleep ; the life-long 
prayer and dream of his mother is not forgotten, 
that his life should be devoted to God and the 
spread of the gospel." 

He had tasted of the river of the water of life, 
and desired that all should drink of the same 
reviving draught, and thought he could material- 
ly aid the work by giving to the Rev. Phineas 
Stowe one thousand dollars, and to the mission of 
Rev. E. Kincaid five hundred dollars, to be expend- 
ed in the sacred cause. Those faithful servants of 
the Master ! He knew them both, and loved them 
well. As the shades of evening gathered about 
him, his consciousness, which had left him for a 
time, returned, and with it the sweet peace of the 
preceding day. His work on earth was done, 
his last and only will and testament given, and 
the sweet smile, the fond farewell, and parting 
look spoke not of death, but of the Christian's 
rest, into which he was entering. "Thus," to use 
the language of Mr. Stowe, "the hearts of his 
dear family became forever wedded to the cause." 
The germ of a greater work for seamen in this 
city, thus planted in weakness by the hand of a 



332 PHINEAS STOWE 

dying man, soon unfolded in strength and beauty, 
bearing abundant fruit. 

The years passed on, with their light and 
shadow, and he whose " soul-stirring appeals " 
in behalf of the sailor had moved so many men 
to love and pity had passed from earth forever, 
leaving the legacy of a life, the memory of which 
still inspires zeal and love for the cause in the 
hearts of those who remain to bear the burden 
and heat of the day. 

Two active workers in the vineyard of the 
Master had toiled, hand in hand, in Christian 
duty until near the close of a Sabbath day's labor 
of more than usual fatigue. One, a minister of 
the gospel, had been signally blessed in his new 
field of labor ; but at this time a shadow seemed 
to rest upon those faithful hearts, who felt that 
the interests of the Bethel cause were vitally 
their own, bequeathed to them in some measure 
by that devoted servant of Christ, so long identi- 
fied with it, who had passed triumphantly through 
the pearly gates to meet his reward, carrying 
golden sheaves with him. The treasury of the 
Bethel Society was low. They needed funds to 
carry on the work so well begun. They looked 



AND BETHEL WORK. 333 

on all sides : no light gleamed out of the- shadow ; 
no rift in the cloud gave promise of a brighter 
day to-morrow. Then they turned heavenward. 
" Let us remember," said the pastor's compan- 
ion, " the power of prayer ; believing prayer 
availeth much. Who can say but that heavenly 
bread, cast upon the waters by one departed, 
may not return to us after many days ? " So en- 
couraged by mutual faith and united worship, the 
preacher went forth again to labor until past 
eventide, while his companion stayed his hands, 
through the buoyant influence of a woman's cheer- 
ing trust and Christian hope. And scarcely aware 
that they had partaken of that divine manna which 
gives new life and rest to the weary, they became 
conscious of renewed strength, of increased faith 
in a brightening future. 

At the close of an evening service, which had 
been held in Cambridge, by invitation of Hon. 
J. M. S. Williams, the preacher was accosted by 
a lady, who, in a quiet, unassuming way, inquired 
if the Bethel Society needed money, and if so, 
she could arrange that a certain amount might 
be at their service now, — that which, according 
to the will of her late husband, would be donated 
to the society at her decease. 



334 PHINEAS STOWE 

An interview was appointed at her home, and 
Mrs. Joanna Latham placed in the hands of 
Rev. Mr. Cooke, present pastor of the Bethel, 
three thousand dollars, the largest donation ever 
received by the society, — the fruit of mission- 
ary zeal and love for the sailor which had per- 
vaded the mind and life of her husband, who 
had clone a good work among the residents of 
that part of the city then called " Fort Hill ; " 
and also one of the fruits of her own self-denial, 
for she lived in the most economical manner, sav- 
ing only for the sake of doing good. 

Immediately, by the appropriation of one third 
of the amount thus bestowed, the incubus of 
debt, which had weighed so heavily upon those 
faithful workers, was lifted from the society. The 
remaining two thousand have been held in reserve, 
with the hope of its forming a nucleus for a per- 
manent Bethel Memorial fund, to which other do- 
nations may from time to time be added. Mrs. 
Latham was the fast friend of the Ladies' Bethel 
Society until her death, which took place in the 
spring of 1872. 

Another donation, which followed shortly after, 
from Miss Mary Thayer, — a member of the Bap- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 335 

tist Church in Randolph, — is most noteworthy, 
inasmuch as it was one of the fruits of seed 
sown broadcast over the land, by the ever-active 
Bethel pastor, Rev. Phineas Stowe. This lady 
bequeathed one thousand dollars of her property 
— which was not large — as a token of her deep 
interest in the Bethel cause, first presented to her 
notice by the seamen's faithful friend, whose good 
works, long after he has entered his heavenly 
home, still yield abundant fruit. 



Form of Bequest. 

I bequeath to the Boston Baptist Bethel Society 

the sum of dollars, to be used for benevolent 

purposes of said Society. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

History of the Boston Baptist Bethel 
Church. 



is 



BY REV. GEORGE A. WILLARD. 

O complete this volume, which contains 
gleanings from the life of Rev. Phineas 
Stowe, a sketch of the church which 
originated from his labors, and remains as his 
monument, seems appropriate. 

It was on the occasion of his preaching his 
fifth anniversary sermon at the Boston Baptist 
Bethel, that the first steps were taken for the 
formation of a church. He had been preaching 
to seamen, and devoting unwearied efforts to 
their welfare up to this time, during which period, 
the results of his labors were rapidly accumulat- 
ing. Hundreds of seamen were being blessed, and 
were carrying the blessings of salvation abroad 
and widely scattering them ; and besides these 

336 



AND BETHEL WORK. 337 

results, he was drawing around him individuals 
who felt the inspiration which animated him. 
Warm-hearted Christian laborers united with 
him in his work, becoming his fellow-helpers, and 
in order to bind themselves more closely, and 
give greater efficiency to their efforts, desired to 
form themselves into a church. 

At the time referred to, his fifth anniversary 
discourse, July 14, 1850, the records inform us, 
that " in the sermon, the chaplain referred to the 
history of the Bethel enterprise, alluded to its 
encouraging prospects, and to the importance of 
having a Christian church connected with it." 
At the close of the exercises all persons belong- 
ing to Baptist churches, who desired to form 
themselves into a Seaman's church, were invited 
to remain for that purpose. 

" On this occasion Rev. Mr. Stowe was chosen 
moderator, and Brother Henry Upham clerk. 
Remarks were made by the brethren, and prayers 
offered imploring the divine direction and bless- 
ing. Articles of faith, similar to those used by 
Baptist churches in the city, and a church cov- 
enant, were adopted, and fourteen brethren and 
sisters signed their names to the same." The 
22 



338 PHINEAS ST OWE 

records continue : "These persons were ready to 
leave their Christian homes in other churches, 
which they did with regret, but with a firm belief 
that the cause of Christ and of seamen required 
them to make the sacrifice." They now entered 
on their chosen work, the conversion of seamen. 
Who can write the history of their labors and its 
results ? The record for the period of nearly 
twenty-five years, the fruits of which are scat- 
tered in all lands, cannot be made by a human 
hand. The history of a river is not simply an 
account of the commerce borne on its surface, 
or of the machinery propelled by its power, nor 
yet the allaying of thirst to the herds and flocks 
which for generations have resorted to its banks : 
these are its obvious benefits ; but there is its 
unseen fertilizing and refreshing influence, which 
penetrates to remote points, clothing with ver- 
dure the region through which it flows. 

On Wednesday, December 29, 1850, a com- 
mittee was appointed to call a council to consider 
the propriety of recognizing this organization as 
a regular Baptist church. This committee fixed 
the time for holding the council on the 27th of 
March, 185 1, and invited the following churches 



AND BETHEL WORK. 339 

to send delegates, namely : First, Baldwin Place, 
Charles Street, Rowe Street, Harvard Street, 
Tremont Street, and Merrimac Street, Boston ; 
East Boston, South Boston, First Charlestown, 
Bethesda (Charlestown), and Charlestown Neck ; 
Medford, Roxbury, and Chelsea churches. 

In response to this invitation, a council con- 
vened on the 27th of March, 185 1, consisting of 
delegates from Baldwin Place, Rowe Street, Bow- 
doin Square, Charles Street, Merrimac Street, 
Boston, Bethesda, Charlestown, Medford, and 
Somerville churches. 

In consequence of another meeting to be held 
at Rowe Street Church, in behalf of Newton 
Theological Institution, at the time appointed for 
this recognition, " it was voted to adjourn to Mon- 
day afternoon next, March 31, at three o'clock, 
P. M." 

At this time the council met according to ad- 
journment, and a delegation was also present 
from Tremont Church. In this council the fol- 
lowing clergymen were present, with twenty-two 
lay delegates : Baron Stow, Phafcellus Church, 
Daniel Sharp, William Howe, E. K. Fuller, C. H. 
Topliff, Phineas Stowe, N. Colver, T. D. Anderson. 



340 PHINEAS STOWB 

The following extract from the records of the 
council gives their action : " Listened to an ac- 
count of the organization of the Bethel Church, 
reasons for organizing and prospects of success, 
from the church clerk and from Rev. Mr. Stovve ; 
also to a statement of the treasurer of the Boston 
Baptist Bethel Society." After a fraternal inter- 
change of views among the members of the coun- 
cil, and approving the articles of faith and cov- 
enant adopted by the church, it was voted unani- 
mously to comply with the request of the Bethel 
Church, and publicly recognize them as a regular 
Baptist church. The public recognition took 
place on the 27th of April, 1851, at the Baldwin 
Place meeting-house. " The house was crowded 
on the occasion, and the following was the order 
of exercises : — 

" Invocation, by Rev. Levi Tucker, D. D. Read- 
ing Scriptures and prayer, Rev. T. F. Caldicott. 
Hymn, ' Lord of the wide-extended main.' Ser- 
mon (Psalm civ. 24-26), Rev. Rollin H. Neale, 
D. D. Hymn, ' Watchman, tell us of the ocean.' 
Prayer of recognition, Rev. Baron Stow, D. D. 
Hand of fellowship, Rev. Joseph Banvard. 
Charge, Rev. Daniel Sharp, D. D. Anthem, ' O, 



AND BETHEL WORK. 34 1 

how lovely is Zion ! ' Benediction, Rev. Phineas 
Stowe." 

The records, after noticing the interesting man- 
ner in which the various parts of the service were 
severally performed, add, " All the exercises 
were strikingly appropriate and profitable, and 
those who engaged in them expressed their deep- 
est interest in the Bethel Church, and in the 
cause of seamen." The church at this time con- 
sisted of twenty-six members. 

We now present from the records some of the 
incidents of special interest which occurred from 
the organization of the church to its public recog- 
nition, a period of nine months. 

Sunday, October 6, 1850. "To-day an interest- 
ing and solemn communion season was enjoyed 
by our little band of disciples, assembled ' in an 
upper room/ About twenty — more than 'the 
twelve' — partook of the Lord's supper, and a 
much larger number of deeply interested persons 
remained to witness the solemn ordinance. The 
service of plate used on the occasion was a dona- 
tion from Deacon Thomas Richardson, of the 
First Baptist Church in this city." 

November 20, 1850. Brethren Henry Upham 



342 PHINEAS ST OWE 

and John Burnham were unanimously chosen 
deacons. Notice had been previously given of 
the proposed action. "As the subject was one 
of much importance, the brethren and sisters 
should make it a subject of prayer, that they 
^night be directed by Heavenly Wisdom." 

December 15, 1850. The ordinance of baptism 
was administered for the first time in this church, 
to Mr. George F. Williams and Mrs. Susan Good- 
win Gould, in the baptistery of the First Baptist 
Church, which had been kindly offered. " The 
house was well filled on the occasion." 

We find the record of an interesting occasion, 
under date of Sabbath evening, March 9, 185 1, 
at Bowdoin Square Church, Rev. P. Church, D. D., 
pastor. " The house was crowded, and many 
who worship at the Bethel were present. After 
Dr. Church's sermon, Deacon Upham, of the Beth- 
el, delivered an address on the ultimate conver- 
sion of seamen, in which allusion was made to 
the beneficial influences of seamen's Bethels. At 
the close of the meeting, our pastor baptized two 
happy converts, Brother M. W. Nichols and Broth- 
er William Dennis." 

The additions made to the church from its 



AND BETHEL WORK. 343 

organization to its recognition were thirteen. 
The first death in the number was that of the 
pastor's first wife. The records show the place 
she held in their hearts, and thus refer to the 
event : " The decease of Mrs. Emily Stowe, the 
beloved wife of our pastor, occurred on Sunday 
morning, May 18, 185 1. Mrs. Stowe had for 
years been an invalid, though she was seldom 
deprived of the privilege, which she prized, of 
attending our religious meetings. Her energetic 
character, social temperament, warm friendship, 
and Christian deportment, endeared her to our 
little band, and to many seamen and others. 
While engaged in her household duties, she was 
suddenly rendered unconscious, and continued 
so until her death, which occurred the next morn- 
ing. Mrs. Stowe was buried from the First Bap- 
tist Church, May 20, 185 1. Many clergymen 
were present, and the house was well filled. 
Prayers were offered by Rev. Drs. Stow and 
Sharp and Rev. Mr. Colver. An address was 
made by Rev. Dr. Neale." 

As a gloom is cast over a ship's crew when 
some one, the favorite of all, is suddenly swept 
overboard, so must this little band have felt at 



344 PHINEAS STOWB 

this bereavement ; and how much more sadness 
must he have experienced whose nearest earthly 
support was snatched away, and whose grief was 
unwritten ! 

The general result of the labors of the Bethel 
Church from this time onward may be understood 
by considering, — 

First, that " the gospel of Christ is the power 
of God unto salvation " — a declaration which his- 
tory has abundantly confirmed. It has not been 
through numbers, wealth, or influence, that the 
Christian religion has made its way, but espe- 
cially by that power which God has given to its 
touching simplicity. 

Second, that this church was gathered (instru- 
mentally) by one who was peculiarly warm-heart- 
ed and earnest in his manner of presenting the 
gospel. 

Third, in noticing the fact that the class gath- 
ered through the labors of Mr. Stowe, being in 
part composed of reformed men (many of whom 
had been addicted to intemperance and its atten- 
dant vices), were largely imbued with his spirit, 
and the spirit of the Master. It is easy to un- 
derstand that those to whom much is forgiven, 



AND BETHEL WORK. 345 

love much, and laboring together with such a 
leader, and under such an impulse, would be a 
power in drawing souls to Christ. Such has 
been the character of the workers and the work 
at the Bethel. A brother of wide observation 
and mature judgment thus describes their meet- 
ings : — 

" On two occasions, during the past winter 
(1 870-1 871), I have attended the Thursday even- 
ing prayer meetings. The services on each oc- 
casion were characterized by a peculiar intensity 
of religious earnestness. Every exercise was 
brief, and came from the heart, bearing the im- 
press of the Spirit. Each one must have felt, in 
the living argument displayed before him, that 
religion is a reality. Men of different nations, 
of diverse culture, all understood one another, and 
spoke in the dialect of the heavenly Canaan. 
The Swede, the Norwegian, the Finn, the Ger- 
man, the English, and Scotch, and American, 
showed that they were all one in Christ." 

All who have been accustomed to watch Chris- 
tian laborers, and their work, can readily antici- 
pate the results of such labor. The history could 
almost be written in advance. These earnest 



346 PHINEAS ST OWE 

workers have kindled a love for Christ not only 
in sailor-hearts, but in many victims of vice, who 
have been brought into the service of Christ, now 
going everywhere preaching the word, scattering 
seed that shall germinate and bear fruit to the 
honor of God. We can record the work accom- 
plished at home, but how small a part is this of 
their whole work ! How little can be known of 
the scenes of thrilling interest on ocean's expanse 
and on distant shores ! 

A few extracts from the records serve as an in- 
dex to their home work. 

The letter to the association for 1862 refers to 
circumstances unfavorable to their home work, on 
account of the large number of their members 
who are at times at sea, leaving their forces at 
home small ; but adds, " We trust our labor has 
not been in vain. It is believed that more per- 
sons have been converted during the past year 
on board the receiving ship Ohio, at the Charles- 
town Navy Yard, than in the whole city of Bos- 
ton, with all its religious appliances." 

In the letter for 1864 occurs the following 
interesting item : — 

" The fact of so many of our members being 



348 



PHIXEAS ST OWE 




BOSTON BAPTIST BETHEL CHURCH. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 349 

away at the war, and on the ocean, operates 
against our general interest and apparent pros- 
perity ; but when our absent sons return, and 
report the mercy and goodness of God to them, 
and their successful endeavors to draw their ship- 
mates to the foot of the cross, we exclaim, with the 
Psalmist, ' Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget 
not all his benefits.' " 

This letter contains another important fact in 
their history. " Through the blessing of God on 
the indefatigable efforts of our pastor, who has se- 
cured subscriptions to the amount of over twen- 
ty thousand dollars ($20,000), the Universalist 
Church, corner of North Bennet and Hanover 
Streets, has been purchased and prepared for 
our use, and, God willing, a public dedication 
thereof will take place on Thursday evening, 
22d inst." * 

The letter for 1865 speaks first of having been 
called upon, more than usually, to "weep with 
them that weep." After enumerating the un- 

* The old Bethel, around which clustered such sacred 
associations, is still retained as a reading-room for seamen, 
where they can write letters, engage in religious conversa- 
tion, and attend a daily prayer meeting held from three to 
four o'clock, P. M. 



350 PHINEAS STOWE 

usual number of deaths which had occurred, and 
recalling the assurance that "whom the Lord 
loveth he chasteneth," it adds, " Spiritually He is 
blessing us with his presence, and already we 
seem to hear the ' sound of a going in the tops 
of the mulberry trees.' 

" The energetic and zealous labors of our pas- 
tor for the good of seamen and the salvation of 
souls, have been blessed of God, but cannot be 
fully estimated until that great day when the 
books are opened, and the sea gives up its dead. 

"Our hopes are rising, and our faith increas- 
ing ; we have had the pleasure of burying in bap- 
tism twice the number we reported last year, and 
several more are now awaiting baptism, who may 
yet ' declare His glory among the heathen, and His 
marvellous works among all nations! " 

From the letter for 1866 we quote, — 

" In our last annual letter we alluded to the 
' sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry 
trees/ believing that God was going to fight for 
us ; and with heartfelt gratitude we now report 
that our expectations have been more than real- 
ized. Our meetings on Lord's day, and during 
the week, have been well attended, and very often 



AND BETHEL WORK. 35 1 

have we been refreshed by the presence of the 
Holy Spirit in an unusual degree. 

" Instrumentally we cannot but attribute much 
of our prosperity to the influence and personal 
efforts of our pastor, who always secures the warm 
affections of the seamen, and the heartfelt sym- 
pathy of the members." 

The following incident is also noticed in the 
letter : — 

" One young man who had been in the army 
and navy, and was formerly in the Sunday School 
at the old Bethel, was laid on a sick-bed, without 
hope of recovery. His uncle, who was a strong 
Universalist, attempted to administer the com- 
forts of his religion, but found, while doing so, 
that Universalism would not do to die by, and 
himself became truly converted. The young man 
died, but gave evidence of his conversion before 
his decease ; and the whole household, consisting 
of his mother, sister, step-father, and uncle, have 
been added to the church. 

" The Sunday School is also in a very encour- 
aging condition, as more interest is manifested 
in that work than has ever been noticed before." 

The event of Mr. Stowe's death, which occurred 



352 PHINEAS ST OWE 

November 13, 1868, seemed peculiarly disastrous, 
on account of the character of the membership, 
which gave him an influence over them peculiarly 
salutary. Many of them he had rescued from the 
strongholds of vice, and been instrumental in 
leading to Christ ; consequently they were bound 
to him by strong Christian ties. His influence 
was therefore powerful, and, under his direction, 
they labored with great zeal and earnestness. But 
when the fearful event came, it was like the re- 
moval of a father. They felt it like children, on 
whom a great increase of responsibility had fallen 
before they were prepared for it, and they were 
feeble to experience such a trial. 

In the next letter to the association after his 
death, they write, — 

" His loss is deeply felt by seamen, and often 
we have seen them weep to think, as they return 
from their voyages, they shall no more receive 
cheering words from ' Father Stowe,' as they 
called him." 

His adaptation to his work, and great zeal and 
fidelity in it, were the subjects of general admira- 
tion. Hfs people thought no one could under- 
stand its peculiar necessities like him, and in this 



AND BETHEL WORK. 353 

feeling others largely sympathized. Hence the 
great calamity (to human view) of this bereave- 
ment. 

But his people were surrounded by kind and 
sympathizing friends. Resolutions, expressing 
deep sympathy and interest for them, were sent 
by the churches around, both of their own and oth- 
er denominations. Neighboring pastors preached 
for them, and administered the ordinances, and 
very judiciously counselled them, though there 
was a general anxiety in reference to his suc- 
cessor. 

There was no suspension of their ordinary work 
after the death of the pastor. Within a short time 
the records show that candidates for membership 
offered themselves, and thus they were encour- 
aged. They manifested their conviction of the 
necessity for a stated ministry by inviting Rev. 
Mr. Medbury to become their pastor. This ac- 
tion was taken March 1, 1869, three and a half 
months after their bereavement. Mr. Medbury, 
however, declined, in. order to complete his pre- 
paratory studies. 

In June, it appears on the records, thsrt it was 
" Voted, unanimously, that Rev. Mr. Peacock be 
23 



354 PHINEAS ST OWE 

procured to labor three months." He accepted 
the invitation, and entered immediately on the 
work, and the church speaks in high terms of 
his labors, still anxiously looking for a pastor. 

On the 1 6th of July Rev. H. A. Cooke, pastor 
of the Second Baptist Church in Lawrence, was 
invited, with great unanimity, to become pastor ; 
and, accepting the invitation, he was publicly rec- 
ognized October 24. 

Thus it appears that the church was destitute 
of a pastor less than a year, and that during this 
time their work was prosecuted with vigor and 
success. 

There had been during the year rather an in- 
teresting state of religious feeling, and towards 
its close there were especially encouraging indi- 
cations, which are contained in their letter to the 
association dated September 12. After recalling 
the prominent events of the year, with a tender 
reference to their bereavement, they allude to 
the indications in their various meetings. They 
say,— 

"But the evening prayer meetings have been 
well attended, and not many moments run to 
waste, for we can truly say, the Lord has been 



AND BETHEL WORK. 355 

nigh unto us, and we have felt his presence ; 
and upwards of seventy, during the past few 
months, have risen for prayers, and some have 
been hopefully converted. We have faith that 
many souls will be brought into the fold of Christ. 
During the year seventeen were baptized, and the 
net gain of the church was eight, making the total 
membership at this time three hundred and thirty- 
seven." 

From this time forward the history must be 
sketched by another hand. As a deep anxiety 
was felt by the particular friends of the church, 
on account of the difficulty in finding a successor 
to one who was so peculiarly adapted to the posi- 
tion, it will be encouraging to state that in the let- 
ter to the association following the settlement of 
the present pastor, sixty-seven were received to 
the church, with a net gain of forty-six. On the 
third anniversary of his settlement he was able to 
report an increase of the church during his pas- 
torate of one hundred and thirty members. 

This history is necessarily brief, but the visible 
results of the church command our admiration, 
and should secure our warmest sympathies and 
heartiest co-operation. The complete results of 



356 PHINEAS STOWE 

this Bethel work, spreading as it does through 
every land and over every sea, can be estimated 
only by Him who " sees the end from the begin- 
ning," and with whom the past and the future is 
an eternal now. 



The following appropriate and beautiful hymn 
was written for the twenty-fifth anniversary of 
the Boston Baptist Bethel Society by Rev. S. F. 
Smith, D. D. : — 

God of the sea, thy mighty power we own ; 
God of the land, we bow before thy throne; 
God of the nations, on thy name we call, 
Dependent we, and thou our all in all. 

God bless the seaman; when in peril's hour 
He seeks thy grace, and leans upon thy power, 
Proclaim through him thy truth on every shore, 
Till distant nations shall thy name adore. 

So, living, make him for thj r service meet, 
Though storms descend, and fierce temptations beat! 
So, dying, thou his port of mercy be, 
O Rock of Ages, — safe at last in thee. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



Boston Baptist Bethel Sabbath School. 



By N. -P. Kemp. 




F the good people who were engaged in 
the inauguration of any of our be- 
nevolent or religious enterprises, and 
especially those which have continued in exist- 
ence for a series of years, and now give promise 
of being permanent institutions, could have fore- 
seen, at the close even of only a quarter of 
a century, the value and interest which would 
attach to every name and act connected with the 
origin and early steps of such organizations, most 
assuredly they would have made special efforts 
to place on record minute and accurate informa- 
tion, that would have been accessible at any time 
for the purpose of* compiling reliable histories 
for the gratification and instruction of present 
and future generations. 

357 



358 PHINEAS STOWE 

* But in too many instances there has been a 
failure to exercise such care ; and this we find 
to have been the case with the Bethel Sabbath 
School, as no records are to be obtained prior to 
September 6, 1853. 

Organization. 

From a brief summary presented at a teachers' 
meeting held in February, 1858, as well as from 
the personal recollection of several brethren, it 
has been ascertained that this school was organ- 
ized in August, 1840, by the Rev. William Howe, 
then employed by the Baptist churches of Boston 
as a city missionary and general superintendent 
of mission Sabbath schools. 

At first the organization was simply a mission 
school, without any distinctive name, with its 
sessions held in a primary school building near 
Chelsea Ferry. Very soon, however, a removal 
took place to a room on Hanover Avenue, or 
Methodist Alley. Still another change almost 
immediately occurred in the location, as better ac- 
commodations were obtained in a primary school - 
house on the corner of Hanover and Charter 
Streets. But here a new difficulty was ex- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 359 

perienced. A violent opposition was manifested, 
by the Catholics and others, on the ground that 
a city building ought not to be used for sectarian 
purposes. This clamor became so decided that 
the city authorities declined to permit the school- 
room to be occupied an)/ longer as a place for 
Sabbath school instruction. 

Not yet discouraged was this little band of 
faithful brethren and sisters. A sail-loft was soon 
obtained at the corner of Commercial and Clark 
Streets ; and here the little ones were gathered, 
with none to molest or make them afraid. A 
name was then adopted, being that of the " Com- 
mercial Street Baptist Sabbath School." Again 
were the tents to be struck, and this time the 
removal was to another sail-loft, corner of Com- 
mercial and Lewis Streets. The school then 
became connected with the Bethel Church, and 
adopted the name of the " Boston Baptist Bethel 
Sabbath School." 

Not yet are their wanderings over ; one more 
removal, and that to their present pleasant and 
convenient Sabbath Home, corner of Hanover 
and North Bennet Streets, where it is hoped that 
the school has found, not a resting, but a work- 



360 PHINEAS STOWE 

ing place, and that for many years to come, its 
supporters may be permitted to gather in from 
the streets and alleys, the cellars and attics, those 
children who are growing np in poverty, igno- 
rance, and neglect, that they may be taught " the 
way, the truth, and the life." 

Membership. 

The school was organized with five teachers 
and thirty scholars. 

Benjamin Abrahams — then an active member 
of the First Baptist Church — was elected the 
first superintendent, and was succeeded by Friend 
Seymour, Henry Upham, Daniel P. Simpson, P. 
J. Forristall, F. W. A. Rankin, Jr., Kimball Easter- 
brooks, and Nathan A. Fitch, the latter brother 
having been elected in January, 1861, and has filled 
the office continuously up to the present time. 

Among those who originated the movement, 
or were soon after connected w'ith it, were Irah 
Chase, Jr., Joseph Sawyer, P. J. Forristall, Lucy 
Hopkins, Ann Maria Dillaway — now Sawyer, 
Miss Abbie Brown, Eliza Ann Holbrook, and 
Mrs. Webber. 

Special mention is made of Mr. Forristall and 



AND BETHEL WORK. 36 1 

Mrs. Webber for their devoted and long-con- 
tinued service in this noble work. 

In February, 1850, this school is reported to 
the Sabbath School Convention as having twelve 
teachers and fifty-five scholars. In 1853 the 
number had increased to eighteen teachers and 
one hundred and ten scholars ; while in 1858 the 
number reported was reduced to seventy ; and 
six years later, in 1864, the entire membership 
was only seventy-two. Soon after this there was 
a gradual increase, so that in 1871 there were 
twenty-eight officers and teachers and one hun- 
dred and fifty-two scholars, being a total of one 
hundred and eighty members. At the present 
time, the school numbers — officers, teachers, and 
scholars — two hundred and twenty-six, with an 
average attendance of one hundred and seventy- 
five. 

In the percentage of attendance for the year 
1872, this school ranked .y8, there being only one 
other school among the thirty-five in the Boston 
North Teachers' Convention equalling it. 

In the earlier years of this school, the teachers 
were mainly from the Baldwin Place and First 
Baptist Churches. 



362 PHINEAS STOWE 

The Library. 

This was commenced by the teachers con- 
tributing books from their own homes, which was 
followed by additions from donations and pur- 
chases, until there are now upon the shelves 
nearly five hundred volumes. 

The Sewing Circle. 

For many years this has been an aid to the 
school in providing clothing for poor children ; 
but during the last two years, in addition to this, 
it has contributed funds towards carrying on the 
work at the Bethel and Exchange. 

Teachers' Meetings 

Have been held frequently ; and on the first Sab- 
bath in each month, the time of the session has 
been occupied with devotional exercises. 

It is believed that these meetings have proved 
of great spiritual advantage to the school. 

Contributions. 

For the first ten years in the history of the 
school the contributions averaged annually about 
one hundred dollars. This sum was expended 



AND BETHEL WORK. 363 

mainly in clothing for the scholars. The next 
ten years the contributions gradually increased, 
until the annual average was more than two hun- 
dred dollars, while the past two years the amount 
has exceeded, each year, the sum of three hun- 
dred dollars. 

In the list of the thirty-five schools connected 
with the Teachers' Convention of the Boston 
North Association, the Bethel school ranks six- 
teen in its membership and in the amount of its 
contributions, which is certainly highly creditable 
to the faithfulness and benevolence of both 
scholars and teachers. 

Monthly Concerts 

Have been observed regularly, and with the 
same general results in regard to the numbers in 
attendance that have been experienced in most 
of other schools ; that is, these meetings have 
been more largely attended by all classes and 
ages than any other religious service upon the 
Sabbath. 

May it not be hoped that the exercises have 
been of such a character as to emphasize the 
truth proclaimed from the pulpit, and also in 
harmony with those spiritual associations which 



364 PHINEAS STOWE 

naturally cluster around the close of the Sabbath 
day? 

Pastor's Co-operation. 

To those who knew the Rev. Phineas Stowe, it 
would be needless to say that his great sympa- 
thizing heart was fully enlisted in the Sabbath 
School work. How many of us remember his 
presence at our Sabbath School Conventions, his 
love for the devotional services, and his readiness 
to lead in prayef or songs of praise, while his 
countenance was beaming with kindness and 
love towards all present ! 

His love to the Saviour seemed to permeate 
every thought and act of his life. His interest 
in those who had not accepted the offers of sal- 
vation was intense ; perhaps those after whom 
his soul went out most lovingly were the sons 
of the ocean ; but children shared largely in his 
warm affections. We have in our possession, 
in his own handwriting, some touching lines on 
the death of little Jamie, whom though he had 
never seen, yet the fact that one of the last acts 
of the little boy's life was collecting funds for the 
Bethel cause, moved him to pay this loving trib- 
ute to his memory. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 365 

Of the present pastor, the immediate successor 
to Mr. Stowe, it is perhaps enough to say, that 
" the mantle of Elijah has fallen upon Elisha ; " 
and if redeemed spirits are permitted to look 
back upon earthly scenes, and become interested 
in human affairs, most surely would that of the 
former Bethel pastor rejoicingly approve of the 
choice made by his people. 

Perhaps the cosmopolitan character of the 
school can be somewhat realized by an analysis 
of Deacon A. Whittemores Bible Class. The 
whole number connected with this class during 
the year 1873 was one hundred and forty-one, 
representing the following nationalities : — 

United States, . . 74 England, 2 

British Provinces, 28 Prussia, 2 

Germany, 9 Norway, 2 

Denmark, 7 Ireland, 2 

Sweden, 6 Finland, 2 

Russia, 2 Africa, I 

Sandwich Islands, 1 Scotland, 1 

West Indies, ... 1 Switzerland, . . . 1 

Incidents. 

The composition and work of this school differ 
somewhat from those of most others in city or 



366 PHINEAS STOWE 

country, and from its peculiar character and its 
ever-changing membership, a volume of marked 
and interesting incidents connected with its prog- 
ress might be gathered. We present a few illus- 
trations of this statement. 

One Sabbath, while occupying a sail-loft as a 
place of meeting, a Christian sailor attended the 
services, and became so interested in the work 
of the Sabbath school, that he volunteered, while 
in port, to act as a missionary in gathering in neg- 
lected children. By judiciously bestowing some 
trifling rewards, he secured the regular attend- 
ance of nearly one hundred uncared-for Catholic 
children. Some of the priests, learning of this 
fact, became so enraged that they stationed one 
of their number at the door on the Sabbath, 
who, with whip in hand, drove away every one of 
these new recruits. But the children had become 
interested in this school, and it was not only 
necessary to drive them away, but to keep them 
away ; and to do this, the priests were obliged 
to start a school of their own, which resulted in 
the organization of their church in Moon Street. 

A friendless, careless sailor boy came in one 
day, and was invited to join the class of Brother 
Forristall. This invitation he accepted, and soon 



AND BETHEL WORK. 367 

received the truth into his heart, and became a 
loving, trusting disciple. He was baptized, and 
united with the First Baptist Church, but soon 
left for another voyage at sea, during which he 
was lost overboard, and found a grave in the At- 
lantic Ocean. 

One Sabbath a seaman entered the school, 
and quietly took a seat in the back part of the 
room. During the exercises of the hour he 
stated that this school was the place where the 
seed was sown, which, watered by the Holy Spirit, 
led to his conversion while at sea. Subsequently 
he became a laborer in the Master's vineyard, in 
the State of New York, and had now come to 
Boston for the express purpose of visiting this 
school, and acknowledging the faithful instruc- 
tions of his former teacher. 

In 1867 the superintendent visited a seaman's 
boarding-house, and invited all present to attend 
the Sabbath School Concert in the evening. 
Among others, a sea captain, utterly indifferent 
in regard to the salvation of his soul, was special- 
ly urged to attend, and he accepted the invitation. 
In the course of the evening, a recitation by 
a little girl arrested his attention, and deeply 
touched his heart. The next morning he sailed 



368 PHINEAS STOWE 

from this port. But the remembrance of that con- 
cert, and especially the recitation by that child, 
were constantly in mind, and not many days 
passed before he was rejoicing in that hope which 
was "as an anchor of the soul, both sure and 
steadfast." 

On his return voyage he entered the harbor on 
a beautiful Sabbath morning, and at once took his 
boat for the wharf, and hastened to his Bethel 
Sabbath home to give thanks, and offer up prayer 
and praise. He was baptized, and united with 
the church, but soon after was called home to his 
" Father's house " of " many mansions." 

Conversions. 

Attractive rooms, large numbers, extensive li- 
braries, commendable amounts in contributions, 
with all other external arrangements and con- 
veniences, however pleasant and desirable, are 
but as the leaves of the " barren fig tree," with- 
out the power and influence of the Holy Spirit 
manifested in the conversion of scholars, and 
their consecration to the service of Christ. 

For this purpose was this school establisheh, 
and to secure such blessed results have breth- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 369 

ren and sisters consecrated their services and 
offered up earnest prayer during the term of a 
generation now past. It is never quite safe to 
rely upon statistics in estimating the amount of 
good accomplished through any one agency of the 
church. " The wind bloweth where it listeth, and 
thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell 
whence it cometh or whither it goeth ; so is every 
one that is born of the Spirit." Especially is it 
difficult, in a school like this, to give even an ap- 
proximate statement of the results of work accom- 
plished in any given number of years. Nor is 
this at all necessary. The seed has been sown at 
all times and beside all waters, in the confident 
belief that in the great harvest day there will be 
gathered of all nations, and from almost "every 
kindred, and tongue, and people," those who "have 
washed their robes and made them white in the 
blood of the Lamb," and who will attribute their 
first knowledge of the " truth as it is in Jesus," and 
their first experience of a Saviour's love, to the 
faithful instructions given, and the fervent, ef- 
fectual prayers offered up, by the teachers of the 
Boston Baptist Bethel Sabbath School. 
24 






CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



The Bethel Temperance Work. 



BY REV. L. L. WOOD. 




T is probably as unwise, and as contrary 
to the divine intention, for man to 
give the precedence to any one depart- 
ment of Christian labor, as it would be for one 
member of the human body to say to another, 
" I have no need of thee." It is safe to say, how- 
ever, that the temperance work of the Bethel 
Church comprises no insignificant part of its 
multiform usefulness. For more than twenty-five 
years weekly meetings have been held, and the 
pledge-roll of these meetings contains over eleven 
thousand signatures. 

It is claimed that the churches of Christ are 
not alive to the evil of intemperance. Whether 
this charge be true in general or not, it is cer- 
tainly not true of the Boston Baptist Seaman's 
Bethel. Recognizing the importance of this 

370 



AND BETHEL WORK. 371 

work, and beginning it at a time when the tem- 
perance cause did not command the respect of 
the pious and intelligent as it does to-day, the 
Bethel Church has labored patiently and persist- 
ently through all these years to stem the tides of 
intemperance which have threatened the return 
ing sailor with a far more dreadful doom than the 
ocean's waves could ever bring to him. And 
to-day the Bethel temperance meetings are an 
engine of power in that section of the city where 
they are so much needed, and where nearly all 
the other Protestant churches have given up the 
field, and retired to more aristocratic localities. 

Every candid mind must admit that the tem- 
perance question outranks in importance all oth- 
ers of merely civil or moral bearing. The most 
reliable estimate attributes ninety-five per cent, 
of all the crime in the land to intemperance. 
The last report of the bureau at Washington 
gives us a liquor traffic of six hundred millions 
of dollars, with a probable cost to the consumers 
of not far from fourteen hundred and eighty-three 
millions of dollars, or about thirty-five dollars to 
every individual in the country, on an average. 
Add to this the value of the time wasted in the 



372 PHINEAS STOWE 

one hundred and fifty thousand dram-shops of 
the United States and territories, on the basis of 
twenty customers to each shop per day, and one 
half hour to each customer, and we have a sum 
which almost staggers the imagination, saying 
nothing of the infinitely greater moral ruin at- 
tending it. These facts show the general impor- 
tance of the temperance cause in the land. 

In the Bethel work this subject has a special 
importance, and here appears the wisdom of the 
founders of the temperance interest, which has 
continued to the present, and which was never 
more prosperous than now. 

The sailor, from his surroundings, is peculiarly 
exposed to the evils of intemperance. In the 
monotonous voyages, often without reading mat- 
ter or any mental occupation, he becomes an ha- 
bitual user of tobacco, which is a stepping-stone 
to intemperance. When he lands on foreign 
shores, the chances are more than equal that he 
will spend his time in the drinking-saloons and 
other disreputable places. And when he returns 
from the voyage, very likely his vessel is boarded 
by landsharks before she has touched the wharf, 
and he is enticed to dens of wickedness, where 



AND BETHEL WORK. 373 

he is furnished with a plenty of intoxicants, until 
his money has been fleeced from him ; and then, 
in a state of intoxication, he is shipped again by 
his inhuman captors, and his advance pay stolen. 
He awakes to consciousness to find himself again 
at sea, with hopes and prospects more wrecked 
than ever ; and so he drifts onward only to re-, 
peat the process, sinking lower each time in self- 
respect and moral worthiness. 

These are the temptations peculiar to the 
sailor, and into which he too often falls. Thank 
God, this is not true of all sailors, however. 
There are many exceptions, of those who have 
found the long voyages favorable opportunities 
for familiarizing their minds with sacred litera- 
ture and the word of God, and to whom the ves- 
sel becomes a floating Bethel on account of the 
divine presence. When on shore, these men are 
found preaching Christ in the places of prayer, 
instead of visiting brothels and grog-shops, and 
returning from their voyages they come back 
richer in grace, and stronger in the truth, than 
when they went out. So there are God-fearing 
captains, who statedly call their crews around 
them for divine worship. 



374 PHINEAS ST OWE 

The lot of the sailor is far better to-day, it is 
true, than it once was, though far from an easy 
one still ; but when we think of his physical 
hardships, of the dangers he braves, and the 
temptations which confront him, his salvation is 
indeed a wonder, and a trophy of infinite, grace. 
It is often found difficult to avoid the snares of 
the tempter on land, where the society and sal- 
utary influence of the moral and religious can 
easily be enjoyed. How much more difficult for 
the sailor, whose companionship is often unavoid- 
ably evil and demoralizing, from one year's end 
to the other ! 

We remember the brave lad who covered the 
powder barrel, on the gunboat, with his own 
body, during the bombardment of the fort by the 
blockading squadron ; and history has recorded 
how the gallant commander lashed himself to the 
rigging of his flag-ship, that he might the better 
direct the terrible battle which unlocked the sea- 
boards of the Gulf, and gave them back to the 
Union. It often requires more moral bravery to 
resist temptation than to face the cannon's mouth. 
Many a man has been seen to lie down and com- 
pose himself to pleasant dreams amid the whiz- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 375 

zing of bullets and the screeching of shells, who 
would be afraid to stand up in a prayer meeting 
in honor of the God who spared him, and who 
has not the moral courage to say " No " to the 
invitation of a dissipated comrade. 

It is said that Admiral Dupont's gunboats 
passed under the most terrific fire in Charleston 
harbor that ever fell upon any vessel before, and 
that when that little fleet of untried and dimin- 
utive-looking iron vessels, having none of the 
majesty of the old wooden war-ships, passed into 
the harbor with their brave crews, to assault for- 
tifications mounted with ten times their number 
of guns, and manned with fifty times their num- 
ber of men, it seemed like riding into the jaws 
of death. They came out of the first round un- 
scathed by the fiery hail. But these were only 
instances of momentary daring, once in a life- 
time. Now, if greater is " he that ruleth his 
spirit than he that taketh a city," then all honor 
to the moral heroism of those noble men whose 
record earth has never seen, but who for a life- 
time have braved the deadliest powers of Satan, 
and remain unscathed to-day. 

A scene even more impressive, in its moral 



376 PHINEAS STOWE 

grandeur, than the bombardment of Charleston, 
was witnessed when, just before that awful en- 
gagement, the brave old commander stood, with 
bared head, in the midst of four hundred men, 
and joined in the prayer for their protection in 
the coming battle, and for the success of the 
Union cause. Scenes scarcely less grand and 
impressive have been frequently witnessed in the 
little Bethel on Hanover Street, where toilers of 
the deep, for more than a generation of time, 
give glory to God, exhort their fellow-seamen and 
shipmates to resist temptation, to prove true to 
their pledge, their souls, and their God, and then 
go forth to endure yet other hardships, and battle 
yet longer for Jesus. 

This thoroughly religious spirit is one of the 
most interesting features of the Bethel temper- 
ance work. Temperance is not inculcated as an 
end, but only as a means to the highest and no- 
blest end for an immortal soul — its victory over 
self and the world, through the grace of God. 

At the close of a recent temperance meeting, 
after an address by the writer, twenty brave and 
strong sons of the deep came forward and signed 
the pledge. They listened reverently to the re- 



AND BETHEL WORK. 2)77 

marks of the chaplain, as he solemnly adminis- 
tered the pledge. A copy of the New Testament 
was then presented to each, containing his name, 
and the solemn pledge he had just taken. 

Who can measure the influence of these scenes 
for more than a quarter of a century ? Year 
after year these Testaments have gone forth, em- 
phasizing the solemn truth which preceded their 
presentation, and spreading north, east, south, and 
west, over every sea, and to every land. Some 
souls have been led by means of them to " the 
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the 
world ;" how many, time will never reveal. Dur- 
ing the war, Testaments were sometimes taken 
from lifeless soldiers, saturated with their blood, 
and bearing the inscription of loved ones. The 
care with which these had been preserved some- 
times led to the hope that the brave soldier had 
" hid " the word of God in his heart, and that 
when he fell beneath the enemy's bullet, his soul, 
cleansed • by the precious blood of which that 
Testament spoke, had risen to that heavenly 
world where 

" no battle-word 
Startles the sacred host with fear and dread." 



378 PHINEAS STOWE 

So these Bethel Testaments afford the rich 
hope that many sailors, of whom we have no rec- 
ord, have been led by them to the cross, to find 
deliverance from appetite and all condemnation 
of sin, and then to ride the billows, more precious 
in God's sight than all the shining pearls of 
ocean, or hidden treasures of the mighty deep. 
And when, on some dark and dreadful night, the 
stormy waves have overwhelmed them, they have 
passed through the flood-gates below, to ascend 
into glory, where " there shall be no more sea," 
no more toiling over the angry deep, no more 
shipwrecks, no more hardships, but where the 
weary are forever " at rest." 

If it be a postulate of science that the gentlest 
blow on earth is communicated to every particle 
of matter in the mighty globe, and the tiny ripple 
on the sea spreads itself until it has reached 
ocean depths, and touched the farthest shore, 
what shall we not venture to hope as the result 
of these silent, and yet all-potent moral influ- 
ences, which are destined to act and react 
through time and in eternity? Supposing only 
half of the eleven thousand who have signed 
the Bethel temperance pledge are seamen, and 



AND BETHEL WORK. 379 

that only half of these were those needing the 
pledge, that only half of these have kept it, 
and that only half of those who have kept it 
have been followers of Christ, yet when we think 
of the value of a single soul, for the loss of 
which all the gain of earth could not compen- 
sate, and for the salvation of which God gave 
his only Son, how infinite the work appears ! 
We shall know the value of these labors when 
the sea gives up its dead, and when the books of 
the recording angel are opened. God bless the 
Bethel Temperance work. 




mm 




r 



tlzSkSS^ 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 
Two Aspects of the Work. 



BY REV. HENRY M. KING. 




ETHEL work," as it is called, is an 
object which appeals to the sympa- 
thies of every Christian and philan- 
thropic heart. There is something in the char- 
acter of the sailor so frank, so generous, so dar- 
ing, in the peculiar nature of his perils and his 
temptations, and in his facilities for a noble and 
world-wide usefulness, that readily enlists a pray- 
erful and active interest in his behalf. The work 
hitherto has justly had a large place in our hearts, 
and God has blessed it with such marvellous suc- 
cess while under the care both of that earnest 
minister of Christ, the lamented Stowe, and also 
of his worthy successor, that it shall continue to 
receive our warmest sympathy and co-operation. 
Our Bethel enterprise embraces in itself the 

380 



AND BETHEL WORK. 38 1 

work of Home Missions and Foreign Missions. 
It is a Seaman's Bethel, and at the same time it 
is more than that. I might make a different 
division of its labors, and look at it in its moral 
and in its spiritual results. It would be difficult 
to estimate what it is accomplishing as a great 
moral reform movement. There is no temper- 
ance organization in the city which is more zeal- 
ous and more successful in saving men from 
the bondage and curse of strong drink than our 
Bethel Church. The hundreds who every year 
are persuaded to sign the pledge, bear witness to 
the truthfulness of this assertion. Temperance 
meetings have been held weekly for twenty-five 
years, and more than ten thousand names have 
been inscribed upon its temperance roll. And 
while the customs on shipboard and the tempta- 
tions on shore remain as they are, the need of 
such work will not be diminished. There is no 
sadder sight on board the. English steamers, than 
to see the men .file up, day after day, at the ap- 
pointed hour, for their rations of "grog." The 
Bethel acts wisely in making the matter of tem- 
perance so prominent in its work, and in attempt- 
ing to remove this great barrier to the progress 



382 PHINEAS STOWE 

of the gospel among the seamen. Every man 
who joins it stands ready to take the pledge ; if 
not, he must wait until he is instructed in the way 
of the Lord more perfectly. But this is only sec- 
ondary to the greater work which the Bethel is 
doing in the preaching of the gospel, and for the 
conversion of men. It labors not only for the 
reformation of men, but for their salvation. It be- 
lieves that the pledge is a good thing, but that the 
consecration of the soul to Christ is a better thing ; 
that regeneration is a higher aim than external 
morality ; that a Christian church composed of 
baptized believers is a more glorious fruit than 
any temperance organization. The revival influ- 
ences which are there enjoyed almost without in- 
terruption, and the genuine conversion of men to 
the Lord Jesus Christ, are occasion for deepest 
rejoicing and devout gratitude to God. 

The home work which the Bethel is doing, 
brings before us, as citizens, a subject which is 
worthy of our most serious attention. Situated 
in a section of the city containing more than 
thirty thousand inhabitants, with comparatively 
few Protestant families, it is helping us to solve 
the great problem of the present day, How shall 



AND BETHEL WORK. 383 

we keep our cities pure ? We are destined to 
be a nation of cities. The agricultural districts 
do not hold the people. They swarm to the great 
centres. Immigration is pouring into every sea- 
port its unwholesome thousands and tens of thou- 
sands, and leaving them there. Seventy per cent, 
of the population of New York city is foreign. 
Corruption in high places is only indicative of 
the corruption which is rankling in low places. 
How shall our cities, in every section and in every 
street, be made and kept pure ? The Bethel is 
helping us to answer that question. The religion 
of respectability says, " Let us move up town, and 
abandon the old fields, or hold them only as we 
hold distant mission stations." The Bethel says, 
" It is not by importing outside labor that it is 
to be done, but by keeping Christian churches 
on the ground." Here we have a mission station 
without the stigma of the name ; a pastor whom 
the people can call their own ; a Sunday school 
officered and manned from among themselves ; 
and a church, with all its divine and purifying 
appointments, with which the converted can unite 
and feel at home. Such a church becomes a per- 
manent centre of a mighty moral and religious 



384 PHINEAS STOWE 

influence, which must be felt in all the surround- 
ing community. 

The Bethel work has also a foreign aspect, 
which we cannot overlook. Coming to it, as 
men do, from every shore and of every language, 
when brought to a saving knowledge of Christ 
under its labors, they go forth to their homes, as 
the self-appointed and God-appointed missionaries 
of the cross, to carry the glad tidings of salvation 
to their distant native shores. One half of the 
six hundred converts who have been received into 
the membership of the Bethel Church since 1850, 
had their birth in a foreign land, and but for 
the Bethel they might themselves have remained 
without the knowledge of the Saviour, and been 
unable to tell their kindred the story of God's 
pardoning love. Souls have been led to rejoice 
in the truth, and churches have sprung up in 
far-away lands through the instrumentality of 
such laborers. 

The American sailor is often the wayward boy, 
who, prompted by a desire for fancied freedom, 
has broken away from the wholesome restraints 
of a Christian home, and made choice of the 
roving life of the sea, regardless of a father's 



AND BETHEL WORK. 385 

wise commands and a mother's tearful entreaties. 
From port to port he goes, followed everywhere by 
the memories and the prayers of home ; yet he is 
prayerless, and it may be, while thinking himself 
free, he has become the slave of many a shameful 
vice. Yet such a one is our representative in 
every foreign port he enters, and the custodian of 
our reputation. Though we have no state church 
and no national religion, yet as a nation we are 
nominally Christian. From our sailors the people 
of other lands will receive their impressions of our 
country, of the character of its people, and of the 
fruits of its religion. Let us labor to have Chris- 
tian sailors, that they may help, and not hinder, 
our missionaries in their arduous work. Let us 
labor to have Christian sailors, that they may 
show to all the world the blessed fruits of our 
holy religion, and assist in hastening its universal 
acceptance. 

The heathen are shrewd observers, and already 
are they beginning to acknowledge the effect 
which Christianity should have upon character. 
An American vessel was once boarded by a Malay 
merchant in the Indian seas, and almost the first 
question was, if they had any religious books or 
tracts to dispose of. 



386 PHINEAS STOWE 

" Why, what do you want of them ? You can- 
not read them," said the captain. 

" True," replied the Malay, " but I have a use 
for them. If one of your people, or an English- 
man, comes to trade with me, I give him a tract, 
and watch what he does with it. If he reads it 
soberly and treats it with respect, I take it he is 
honest, and will not cheat me ; but if he throws it 
down with an oath, I'll have nothing more to do 
with him, for he can't be trusted." 

Of Christian character as exemplified in the 
lives of men, it may be said, as Dr. Chalmers once 
said of the character of Christ, " It will do more 
to regenerate the world than all other agencies 
put together. It has done more to spread his 
religion in the world than all that has ever been 
preached or written on the evidences of Chris- 
tianity." Give us godly men to man our ships, 
" known and read of all men," as they are, and 
we will move forward to the conquest of the 
world for Christ. 

The Christian sailor becomes a self-supporting 
colporteur, a missionary dependent upon no over- 
drawn treasury, to whom the trackless ocean is 
but the highway to the remotest regions and 



AND BETHEL WORK. 387 

families of the earth. Wherever avaricious com- 
merce pushes its sharp bows, wherever fearless 
science searches on remote shores for its hid 
treasures, wherever the spirit of restless discov- 
ery is borne by its broad canvas, there the Chris- 
tian sailor shall go, and shall tell out of his heart 
the story of the cross, and spread the knowledge 
of its life-giving truth. 

He who is laboring for the conversion of the 
seaman is laboring in the line of that specific di- 
vine promise, " The abundance of the sea shall be 
converted unto thee." Well will it be for us, if at 
the last, when " the sea shall give up its dead," 
we shall be found to have had some part in lead- 
ing its " abundance " to Christ 




CHAPTER XL. 



Testimonials to Bethel Work. 




VESSEL adrift is almost the same as 
a vessel wrecked. And a man adrift in 
this great city, amid the currents of 
evil, without friends, without the impulsion of 
right principles, is a soul lost. The forces that 
hold him are fatal. Before him, with almost the 
certainty of an accomplished fact, lies a ruined 
life, a ruined immortality. How many wander- 
ers have been rescued by the Bethel from that 
dreadful doom ! No longer adrift, but anchored 
— not broken on the rocks, but sheltered in the 
calmness of the haven. 

A vessel anchored turns to meet and to resist 
the current. She feels the veering of wind or 
water, and turns so that neither wind nor wave 
strikes her on the broadside. In storms she 
brings her sharp prow to the waves, her head 

388 



AND BETHEL WORK. 389 

to the sea, and to the tempest. And there is 
many a watcher on old ocean to-day, who thanks 
God that at the Bethel he found the anchor 
that made him sensitive to sin, that turned him 
to meet temptation, and to overcome it ; and an 
anchor that holds in life's extremities when others 
drag — " sure and steadfast " now, as Paul found 
it on the stormy Adriatic, when " neither sun nor 
stars in many days appeared." 

The members of the church, seeing so plainly 
the desolation wrought by sin, are full of good 
works. One of them, Albert W. Warren, for 
years has spent the Sabbath upon the wharves, 
and among the boats, by tract and by personal 
appeal carrying Christ to the hearts of those 
whom the pulpit could not reach. This work is 
prized as far as its benign and wide-extended 
influence has gone. The pastor's hands are full 
of testimonies that must be an inspiration to him. 

Writing of the temperance work, Rev. William 
M. Thayer, Secretary of the Massachusetts Tem- 
perance Alliance, says, — 

" A visit to the weekly meeting at the Baptist 
Bethel on the first Monday of the year 1874, in- 
terested me deeply in its temperance work. It 



390 PHINEAS STOWE 

was a stormy evening, and yet the vestry was 
full. The annual report showed that an average 
of nine persons had signed the pledge at each 
of the meetings during the year 1873. A large 
number of these men were intemperate. The 
pledge roll now numbers over twelve thousand 
names. Thirteen men, representing five nation- 
alities, signed the pledge on Monday night. Mr. 
Cooke made that part of the service deeply in- 
teresting and impressive by his timely advice 
and right hand of fellowship. 

" On leaving the vestry, we said, if all the 
churches of Boston would go and do likewise, 
what a change might be wrought in this city ! 
The field is ample. Every church could engage 
in this temperance work with profit to itself. 
As it is, the liquor shops destroy more men than 
the churches save. Let them work as the Bethel 
Church does, and we should be able to say, very 
soon, the churches save more than the dram-shops 
destroy. A large number of the reformed drink- 
ers at the Bethel become Christians. The tem- 
perance cause is proving a John the Baptist to 
that church." 

No pledge is ever given without a copy of the 



AND BETHEL WORK. 39 1 

New Testament, donated by the Massachusetts 
Bible Society. It must be gratifying to the 
officers and friends of the above Society, that 
the Word of God is thus received by seamen 
and carried over the world. 

Rev. D. P. Morgan, of Jamaica Plain, who, as 
a student, became interested in the work of the 
Bethel, writes concerning it, — 

" No one can deny that the Bethel work gives 
an opportunity to do a vast amount of good. 
The question is, Shall the opportunity be im- 
proved by those who love the cause which it pro- 
motes ? Shall thousands of noble, brave men, to 
whom commerce is indebted for her wealth, and 
the homes and tables of all our citizens for many 
of their luxuries, be supplied with the Word of 
God and a knowledge of salvation, or be left like 
a ship, crushed by the breakers and the storm, to 
strand upon some hostile shore ? Shall thousands 
of careless men, coming to our harbor, be suf- 
fered to drift, like a rudderless boat, into places 
so vile that it is not a question of safety between 
Scylla and Charybdis, but a foregone conclusion 
of infamy and disgrace, or shall they be sought, 
and led to a haven of purity and truth ? Shall 



392 PH1NEAS STOWE 

thousands of thinking yet wicked men be left 
to sail back and forth between the old world and 
the new, or from port to port, thus weaving a net 
for Satan, in which to gather up the men of the 
sea, or shall they be brought to Christ, and put 
in possession of the gospel of Christ, and made 
fishers of men, heralds of salvation, and pro- 
moters of civilization and humanity all over the 
world ? 

"The opportunity is given to the friends of 
Christ to answer these questions favorably, and to 
bless the sailors and the world by aiding the 
Bethel interest with prayer, and labor, and 
money. When Christ found an opportunity, he 
used it. To the multitude gathered for food 
he said, * Labor not for the meat which perish- 
eth ; ' to the woman at the well he said, ' Who- 
soever drinketh of the water that I shall give 
him shall never thirst ; but the water that I 
shall give him shall be in him a well of water 
springing up into everlasting life/ To be fully 
Christ-like, Christians must use opportunities for 
saving men. The Bethel amply affords them." 

But how rich the tribute to Bethel work that 
comes from those who have felt its influence, 



AND BETHEL WORK. 393 

who have been saved from a sinner's experience 
and a sinner's doom ! Letters from distant ports 
contain words like these : — 

" We have good times at sea. We have meet- 
ings two or three times a week. The first night 
at sea, the men all took the pledge, and I think 
that they will keep it ; they have so far. The 
Lord is with us, and I think your prayers at the 
Mariner's Exchange are heard. The men for- 
ward are very much interested in our meetings. 

" Brother, I am glad that you found me. The 
Lord sent you the night you took me in at the 
Bethel. How true is his word, ' I drew them 
with cords of a man, with bands of love.' I 
know by experience that when a man is once 
converted, the Lord will never leave him. He 
may fall back, and not do his duty ; still, in some 
way, God's protecting hand will follow him and 
bring him back to himself and to the church. 
I am ever willing to praise Him for what he has 
done for me, a poor sinner." 

The Bethel, with its devoted pastor, should 
hold a large place in our hearts. It is a lamen^ 
table fact that the sails of commerce have 
helped to extend the dominion of sin — have 



394 PHINEAS STOWE 

added provinces to the empire of Satan. But on 
many ships to-day that leave our port, the Bethel 
is sending- men redeemed from sin, and witnesses 
for God. We believe in the tract, but a man is 
better than a tract. We believe in a good book 
and its beneficent work, but a man is better than 
a book. We believe in the Book of books, but 
God's own book goes clothed with power when it 
goes forth in the heart and in the mouth of a 
man. The written word may be stowed away 
and hidden, but the living edition shines like a 
light from the mast-head. Out upon every sea, 
and into the ends of the earth, the Bethel is send- 
ing men ; and they are scattered by hundreds 
to-day all over the world, bearing witness to the 
truth of God. 

Carved upon the Eddystone light-house — that 
noble monument of man's genius and humanity 
— are the words, " To give light and to save life." 
And as these, once ready to perish, go forth to 
save the perishing, in a larger, in a more exalted 
sense, we read the mission of the Bethel in those 
words, " To give light and to save life." 

J. T. B. 




CHAPTER XLI. 

The Man and his Work. 

BY REV. S. F. SMITH, D. D. 

N all human things the maker of a 
machine is greater than the machine 
he has made. The workman is greater 
than his work. But notwithstanding this, some- 
times the grandeur of a work conceals, and, as it 
were, absorbs the workman. The writers of the 
preceding pages have undertaken to portray the 
features of the life of that incomparable man, — 
Phineas Stowe, — the tireless worker, — the faith- 
ful watchman for souls, — the loving friend, — the 
ardent minister for seamen, consuming himself 
with his matchless zeal, — the enthusiastic servant 
of Christ. As in the all-ingulfing sea, he was 
absorbed in his work. No man asked if he was 
intellectually great, or learned. The inquiry was 
never made whether he was a man of genius, or 

395 



396 PHINEAS ST OWE 

had studied in the schools. So completely did he 
occupy his sphere, so thoroughly did he fulfil his 
mission, that every one who knew him, as if in- 
stinctively, perceived the fitness of the man for 
his sphere, and the harmony between the sphere 
and the man. And yet, with this wealth of adap- 
tation to his work, and with the affluence of his 
consecration to it, the writers of these pages have 
in a striking manner merged the workman in his 
work. It is to Phineas Stowe and his memory 
that these pages seek to record a tender tribute ; 
but the great beneficence to which he devoted 
himself, the cause to which he lovingly sacrificed 
his life, — in these the reader finds himself inter- 
ested and absorbed. Meek, self-forgetful, and re- 
tiring, not seeking to impress others with a sense 
of his dignity, ability, or power, he toiled at his 
spiritual forge* as a mechanic bent on finishing a 
perfect model. Finding the materials on which 
he labored in what men regard as the lower strata 
of society, he did not shrink from the grime, the 
sweat, and the darkness with which his service 
brought him into companionship, if only he might 
save his fellow-men, and out of the rudest pebbles 
or the most uncomely ores, gather precious metals 



AND BETHEL WORK. 397 

and polish sparkling jewels for the crown of Jesus 
Christ. Like the laborer who feeds the furnaces 
with fuel, unseen and unthought of, and un- 
conscious of the curious effects wrought by the 
delicate or the mighty machinery which depends 
on his sinewy arm and his faithful and persevering 
heart, he was content to labor out of sight, if need 
be, — to toil away from the world's glare and 
praise, — seeking the accomplishment of the great 
end in which his soul was bound up, and the honor 
of " God only." How well he wrought, the work 
he did abundantly witnesses. How wisely he 
planned, — how constantly he toiled, — how ear- 
nestly he interceded, — how enthusiastically and 
successfully he strove to enlist the energies of 
others, — the broad foundations he laid for the 
Baptist Bethel work, and the comely superstruc- 
ture which has been reared upon'it, give sufficient 
and honorable testimony. 

At this late day it is not necessary to show the 
importance of the work for seamen, or to offer in- 
formation to an enlightened public in regard to 
the far-reaching influences which have their roots 
in this soil. Ever since the Rev. Dr. Jenks began 
a service for sailors in a warehouse midway of the 



39S PHINEAS ST OWE 

length of Central Wharf, preaching on the Sabbath 
morning and giving a tract at the close of the 
service to the few seamen and poor laboring men 
who attended, — ever since the Christian Watch- 
man published, in one of its earliest issues, a 
description from a London paper of the earliest 
Bethel flag and its first unfurling to the breeze, 
the public interest in this cause has been growing. 
The little prayer meeting, held for a few weeks at 
the house of Thomas Ford, in Cross Street, and 
of Deacon John Sullivan, who lived opposite, made 
interesting by the presence of two Swedish sailors 
who had been converted on board the ship which 
conveyed the early missionaries, Colman and 
Wheelock, to Calcutta, warmed the germs of the 
Bethel interest into life. The broken dialect and 
lisping speech of these first fruits to Christ of the 
enterprise of missions to the heathen were not 
lost. From this humble beginning, the few poor 
people who wept their grateful Aniens when these 
strangers from a strange land begged " the Father 
of Mercies " for the conversion of them " that are 
afar off upon the sea," originated a depth of love 
to the work for the sailor, which men of wealth 
and talent have taken up and carried forward. 



AND BETHEL WORK. 399 

The little egg, incubated, has developed into a 
bird of paradise. Out of the labors of Frederic 
Neilson, another Swedish sailor, has grown, as 
out of a feeble germ, the whole great work of the 
Baptist mission in Sweden, with its more than 
eight thousand converts, — and which now sweeps 
onward, like the majestic roll of the billows, when 
the river rushes out from its confining banks and 
mingles with the sea. How feeble were the be- 
ginnings ! How great is the result ! 

The work of the Baptist Bethel Church has its 
points of deep interest, both at home, where the 
chief enginery is applied, and, more cr less, in 
every part of the land and of the world. For 
there is not a clime which is not visited by these 
birds of passage. There is not a nation where 
they do not carry the living Word. There is not 
a port where they do not find an opportunity to 
honor God by a holy life and conversation. The 
sons of the sea are baptized, and after one com- 
munion, it may be, they are seen no more. But 
He who directs the path of the water-fowl takes 
care of the work which he has begun, and carries 
it forward to a happy issue. The seed sown is 
not lost. The disciple is cared for, though far 



400 PHINEAS STOWE 

from home and gospel privileges, by his divine 
Lord. On this point the Rev. D. B. Cheney, 
D. D., well remarks, — 

"The fruits of a church laboring among a 
transient population are likely to become widely 
scattered. It may not be easy to collect and pre- 
sent them at a given point. For this reason there 
is danger of forming a wrong estimate of the 
fruitfulness of such a church, and of becoming 
discouraged while laboring on such a field, because 
there are so few fruits that can be shown by the 
laborers. To judge correctly we must follow those 
who go out from such a church and scatter over 
the world. 

" According to this simple and just rule, I 
learned years ago to place a high estimate upon 
the fruitfulness of the Boston Baptist Bethel. 
During my pastorate of more than eight years of 
the First Baptist Church, San Francisco, I had 
abundant evidence that this was a fruitful vine. 
I think we heard from the Bethel Church, on an 
average, once a month, in our meetings, during 
my entire residence there. I have many times 
known ships to come into the harbor just at night, 
perhaps after dark, from a voyage of four or five 



AND BETHEL WORK. 40 1 

months, when one or more sailors would hasten 
to our prayer meeting to testify of their love to 
Christ. They often spoke with foreign accents ; 
sometimes in broken English, difficult to under- 
stand, and yet they frequently spoke so as to move 
and melt all our hearts, as if their lips had been 
touched with a live coal from the heavenly altar. 
They loved to talk of Jesus, of the Bethel Church, 
and of Pastor Stowe. Sometimes a member 
would come with a young convert whom he had 
led to Christ during the voyage, who would bear 
his first public testimony for the Saviour among us. 

" Knowing, as I did, how many landsmen, mem- 
bers of eastern churches, made shipwreck of their 
faith during a voyage to California, it was often 
an occasion of grateful surprise to me to see these 
'sons of the ocean,' fresh from the sea, with their 
hearts glowing with love to Christ and the souls 
of their fellow-men. Where others had fallen they 
stood strong, and on the other side of the conti- 
nent bore testimony that they were true to their 
covenant vows. 

" Judging of the fruits of the Bethel, seen in 
that single port, how abundant must they be in 
the different ports of the world to which they go ! 
26 



402 PHINEAS ST OWE 

They are truly ' fruits abroad ; ' scattered fruits ; 
but the time is coming when they will all be 
gathered into the heavenly garner. Then, and 
not till then, will be seen the full results of Chris- 
tian labor here." 

The Bethel work is one of world-wide benefi- 
cence. There is no land to which its influence does 
not reach. Tropics and zones have their fixed lim- 
its. The Gulf Stream has its path marked out in 
the Atlantic, and keeps within its appointed bounds. 
But of the six hundred disciples of Christ, and 
more, who have been included in the fellowship 
of the Bethel Church since 1850, — a cloud of 
witnesses growing out of the original sixteen, — 
who can trace their walk and work ? What power 
will venture to define the influence of blessing 
which has attended their wanderings ? Every 
quarter of the globe is illuminated by this " radi- 
ating centre of Christian truth." In a little more 
than four years the present pastor has welcomed 
to the church of Christ "more than two hundred 
members from sea and land, from twelve different 
nations — America, England, Wales, Scotland, Ger- 
many, Prussia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Den- 
mark, East and West Indies." And in the dialects 



AND BETHEL WORK. 403 

of all these nations, men, naturally rough and 
rude, but made gentle through the power of the 
gospe], have learned to " ascribe salvation to Him 
that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb." As 
the sun never sets upon the realm of Britain, so 
it never sets on the far-reaching boundaries of the 
Bethel Church. As the roll of England's morning 
drum-beat travels round the world, so the morning 
incense of the devotions of the scattered mem- 
bers of this one New Testament church curls 
upward with the beams of the rising light, and 
the fragrant breath of prayer travels onward with 
the luminary of day as he rises on all the succes- 
sive nations, — the breath ascending from one 
body, scattered widely, but still one church of the 
one living Head. 

The Bethel Church maintains a daily season of 
prayer, besides the frequent meetings on the Sab- 
bath and in the evenings, which are more largely 
attended. " Prayer also shall be made for him 
continually," says the writer of the seventy-second 
Psalm, "and daily shall he be praised." The 
Jewish priest at three o'clock in the afternoon 
offered the daily evening sacrifice. The worship 
of the ancient temple is abolished, and the temple 



404 PHINEAS ST OWE 

itself has disappeared ; but in this effort to convert 
"the abundance of the sea," the altar is kindled 
anew, and daily incense ascends at the same hour 
of the evening sacrifice, " acceptable to God, 
through Jesus Christ." And the meetings of the 
church for prayer and praise, both the daily and 
the weekly services, are seasons of deep and some- 
times thrilling interest. A Christian brother, 
who had the privilege of attending, occasionally, 
an evening of prayer with the Bethel Church, 
writes as follows : — 

" On two occasions during the past winter, I 
have attended the Thursday evening prayer meet- 
ing at the Bethel Church. 

" There was a unity in both these meetings. 
One theme was exhibited in the beginning, drawn 
from the Scripture read, and ran like a silver 
thread through all the services, — the key-note 
of song, and prayer, and remark, of penitence and 
jubilation. The first evening it was the name of 
Christ ; the second, the beloved John. And sup- 
plication and experience alike took their tinge 
from the main theme, ever and anon recurring to 
the melody struck at the outset. Every strain 
that was sung, not by a process of reasoning, but 



AND. BETHEL WORK. . 405 

by a holy and spontaneous sense of fitness and 
propriety, kept up the beautiful harmony. 

" The meetings were a delightful realization of 
the communion of saints. A charming brotherli- 
ness pervaded the whole service, and broke over 
the bounds of formality at the close, revealing 
itself in animated tokens of Christian affection. 
All hearts evidently partook of the same emotion. 
All drank of the same spiritual fountain, from 
the Living Rock, 'and that Rock was Christ.' 
Men of different nations, of various education, of 
diverse culture, all understood one another, and 
spoke in the one dialect of the heavenly Canaan. 
The Swede, the Norwegian, the Finn, the Ger- 
man, English, and Scotch, and American, showed 
that they were all one in Christ. Broken in 
speech and contrite in heart, recalling and realiz- 
ing over again the scenes of the Pentecost, all 
spoke and prayed like men in earnest, like men 
who knew, because they felt. The precious hours 
fled too rapidly away, and suggested, by the beauty 
of what was, the glory of what shall be, when they 
shall come from the east and the west, the north 
and the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom 
of God." 



406 PHINEAS ST OWE. 

Our limits will not allow us to linger longer 
on the themes suggested by the Bethel and its 
work. We close with the following just and 
eloquent words of the Nestor of the Boston Bap- 
tist ministry : — 

" Mr. Stowe's connection with it constitutes 
one of the brightest pages in the history of 
Boston Baptists. He was an honor to his 
church, to the ministry, and to the Christian 
name. His sweetness of spirit, his great heart 
ever full and overflowing with love, his untiring 
zeal, seeking to do good to the sailors in every 
way, meeting them as they came ashore, and even 
before landing, throwing safeguards around them, 
taking them to his house, praying with them, and 
all this not in a stiff professional way, but because 
he was their friend and brother, and could not do 
otherwise. His well-remembered pleadings for 
the sailor's home, the sailor's reading-room, the 
sailor's burying-ground, endeared him tenderly to 
our hearts. O, what memories we have of him ! 
and these belong to the history of the Bethel." 



